I-NRLF 


THE  NAVIGATION  OF  THE  LAKES 


AND 


NavftaWe  Connications  Therefrom  to  the  Seahoarfl, 


AISTD  TO  THE  MISSISSIPPI  BIVEE, 


AND 


RELATION  OF  THE  FORMER 


TO    THE 


LINES  OF  RAILWAY  LEADING  TO  THE  PACIFIC. 


Bv  EDWIN  F.,  JOHNSON, 


HARTFORD: 
PRESS  OF  CASE,  LOCKWOOD  &  COMPANY. 

1866. 


THE  NAVIGATION  OF  THE  LAKES 


AND 


Navigable  Comnnications  Therefrom  to  tie  Seated, 


AND  TO  THE  MISSISSIPPI  EIYEE, 


AND 


RELATION  OF  THE  FORMER 


TO    THE 


LINES  OF  RAILWAY  LEADING  TO  THE  PACIFIC, 


By  EDWIN  F.  JOHNSON, 


HARTFORD: 

PRESS  OF  CASE,  LOCKWOOD  &  COMPANY. 
1866. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1866,  by 
EDWIN   F.   JOHNSON, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the  District  of 

Connecticut. 


THE  NAVIGATION  OF  THE  LAKES,  ETC. 


THE  subject  which  it  is  now  proposed  to  examine  is  one  of 
so  great  importance  in  a  commercial  and  political  view,  that 
no  apology  is  needed  for  inviting  attention  to  it.  ' 

The  character  of  the  St.  Lawrence  chain  of  waters,  their 
connection  with  the  navigable  routes  to  the  seaboard,  and  their 
relation  to  the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  and  its  branches, 
has  been  the  theme  of  so  much  that  has  been  said  and  written 
within  the  last  fifty  or  sixty  years,  that  it  may  be  deemed 
presumptuous  to  endeavor  to  add  to  the  amount  of  information 
already  possessed.  All  therefore  that  is  intended  in  the  pres 
ent  essay  is  to  present,  if  possible,  the  subject  in  such  a  light 
as  to  render  its  importance  more  apparent  and  deserving  the 
attention  and  serious  consideration  of  the  'American  public. 

The  two  great  drainage  basins  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  the 
Mississippi,  which  pour  their  surplus  waters  into  the  Atlantic 
at  points  so  remote  as  the  gulfs  of  Mexico  and  St.  Lawrence, 
approach  each  other  in  the  interior,  so  that  for  a  distance  of 
over  twelve  hundred  miles  their  waters  interlock  and  they 
have  the  same  boundary. 

These  basins  differ  greatly  in  character,  producing  an  equal 
ly  marked  difference  in  the  navigation  afforded  by  each.  The 
chain  of  St.  Lawrence  waters  is  characterized  by  a  series  of 
fresh  water  lakes  unparalleled  in  extent  and  elevated  from 
one  hundred  to  six  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Ocean. 
At  a  distance  of  nearly  two  thousand  miles  from  the  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence  is  the  largest  of  these  lakes,  Lake  Superior, 
elevated  six  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  the  surplus  waters 
of  which  form  the  St.  Mary's  river  and  its  eastern  extremity. 

M175617 


This  river,  after  descending  twenty-three  feet,  nearly,  enters 
Lake  Huron  which  is  elevated  five  hundred  and  seventy-seven 
feet  above  the  sea. 

Upon  a  level  with  this  lake,  and  connected  with  it  by  the 
straits  of  Mackinaw,  is  Lake  Michigan. 

The  two  last  named  lakes  find  an  outlet  by  the  St.  Clair 
river  at  the  southern  extremity  of  Lake  Huron,  into  St.  Clair 
Lake.  This  latter  discharges  by  the  Detroit  river  into  Lake 
Erie  which  has  an  elevation  above  the  sea  of  five  hundred 
and  sixty-seven  feet. 

Lake  Erie  has  for  its  outlet  the  Niagara  river,  which  has  a 
descent  to  Lake  Ontario  of  331  feet,  nearly  one  half  of  which 
is  vertical  forming  the  grand  falls  of  that  river.  From  Lake 
Ontario,  which  is  elevated  two  hundred  and  thirty-six  feet 
above  the  sea,  flows  the  St.  Lawrence  river  proper,  which, 
after  a  descent  of  223  feet,  meets  the  tides  of  the  sea  at  Mon 
treal  thirteen  feet  above  the  sea  level,  that  level  not  being 
attained  until  the  river  enters  Lake  St.  Peters. 

The  St.  Lawrence  in  its  course  from  Lake  Ontario  to  Mon 
treal  passes  through  two  lesser  lakes,  formed  by  an  expansion 
of  its  surface,  viz. :  Lake  St.  Francis,  elevated  141  feet,  and 
Lake  St.  Louis  59  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

In  addition  to  tire  lakes  and  rivers  named,  there  are  other 
waters  in  the  St.  Lawrence  basin  so  situated  as  to  be  able  to 
perform,  or  are  now  performing,  an  important  part  in  the 
internal  navigation  of  the  country. 

These  are  Lake  Nippissing  elevated  sixty  feet,  nearly,  above 
Lake  Huron,  and  discharging  its  surplus  waters  by  the  French 
river  into  that  lake.  The  Ottawa  river  connecting  by  one  of 
its  mouths  with  the  St.  Lawrence  in  Lake  St.  Louis  on  the 
southeast  side  of  Montreal  Island,  a  large  and  liable  stream, 
stretching  far  into  Northern  Canada,  and  reaching  by  its 
Matewan  branch  to  within  four  and  a  half  miles  of  Lake  Nip- 
pissing.  Lake  Sirncoe  discharging  into  the  Georgian  Bay  of 
Lake  Huron  by  the  Severn  river  and  elevated  137  feet  above 
the  latter  lake,  and  Lake  Champlain  ninety-six  feet  above  the 
sea,  having  for  its  outlet  the  Sorel  or  Chambly  river,  which 
enters  the  St.  Lawrence  at  the  head  of  Lake  St.  Peters 


and  a  group  of  lakes  in  western  New  York,  which  have  their 
outlet  into  Lake  Ontario  by  the  Oswego  River,  the  eastern 
most  of  which,  Lake  Oneida,  is  elevated  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  above  Lake  Ontario. 

The  waters  above  described  lie  partly  within  the  Canadas, 
and  partly  within  the  States.  Of  the  lakes  named,  Michigan, 
Champlain  and  Oneida,  lie  wholly  within  the  States.  Superior, 
Huron,  St.  Clair,  Erie  and  Ontario,  lie  partly  in  the  States 
and  partly  in  Canada ;  and  the  others  named  are  Canadian 
lakes  and  their  outlets,  including  that  of  Lake  Champlain, 
are  Canadian  rivers. 

The  great  difference  in  elevation  of  the  lakes,  as  described, 
indicates  that  the  rivers  connecting  them  or  flowing  from 
them,  have  a  descent  in  their  natural  condition  unsuited  to 
navigation.  This  is  true  of  all  of  them  excepting  the  St. 
Clair  and  Detroit  rivers. 

The  obstacles  to  navigation  in  the  others  have  been  over 
come  to  a  certain  extent.  The  descent  from  Lake  Superior  to 
Lake  Huron  is  overcome,  eighteen  feet  of  it,  by  a  canal  one 
mile  nearly  in  length,  having  twelve  feet  depth  of  water,  with 
two  locks  of  eight  to  ten  feet  lift  each,  three  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  length  of  chamber,  and  seventy  feet  wide. 

Between  Lake  Huron  and  Lake  Erie,  at  what  are  called 
the  St.  Clair  Flats,  a  dredging  of  the  channel  has  been  found 
necessary  to  secure  ten  feet  depth  of  water  at  the  lowest 
stage  of  Lake  Huron,  and  this  must  be  repeated  at  still  great 
er  cost,  the  bottom  being  an  indurated  marl,  to  secure  eleven 
to  twelve  feet,  and  here  it  may  be  said,  once  for  all,  that  the 
surface  of  the  great  lakes  varies  from  four  to  about  five  or 
six  feet  in  extreme  cases,  depending  upon  the  rains  and 
snows  in  their  basins,  and  amount  of  evaporation.  These 
changes  culminate,  it  is  said,  with  some  regularity  every  six 
and  one  third  years.  The  period  from  the  maximum  or  min 
imum  to  the  next  maximum  or  minimum,  being  twelve  and 
two-thirds  years  nearly.  Their  surface  levels  at  their  outlets 
and  at  other  points,  also  vary  with  the  direction  and  force 
of  the  winds  that  sweep  over  their  surface,  and  when 
thus  disturbed,  currents  are  formed  in  recovering  their  equilit)- 


6 

riiun,  which  arc  plainly  perceptible  to  those  engaged  in  their 
navigation. 

These  lakes  are  remarkable  for  their  large  size,  compared 
with  the  dimensions  of  the  basins  in  which  they  are  situated. 
They  occupy  full  one-third  of  the  whole  surface.  The  dis 
charge  from  them  down  the  St.  Lawrence  does  not  probably 
exceed  the  one- fourth  to  the  one-third  part  of  the  rain  fall  hi 
their  basins,  a  discharge  which  would  be  greatly  lessened,  but 
for  their  elevation  and  high  northern  position  of  the  largest 
of  their  number,  both  of  which  circumstances  contribute 
greatly  to  lessen  the  evaporation. 

Lake  Erie  is  connected  with  Lake  Ontario,  in  Canada,  by 
the  Welland  Canal,  which  is  forty-two  miles  extreme  length, 
has  ten  feet  depth  of  water,  and  locks  150  feet  by  2G£  feet, 
with  lifts  averaging  ten  to  twelve  feet.  This  canal  was  origi 
nally  of  much  smaller  dimensions.  It  has  two  termini  oil 
Lake  Erie,  the  shortest  line  from  lake  to  lake  being  twenty- 
eight  miles. 

Upon  the  St.  Lawrence,  from  Lake  Ontario  to  Montreal, 
short  canals,  seven  in  number,  have  been  constructed  at  places 
where  the  river  has  too  great  a  descent  for  navigation.  These 
canals  have  nine  feet  depth  of  water,  locks,  200  feet  by  50 
and  55  feet,  and  they  have  an  extent  in  the  aggregate  of  41 
miles  or  32J  miles  to  Lake  St.  Louis  at  the  junction  of  the 
Ottawa  with  the  St.  Lawrence. 

This  distance  of  32J  miles  is  made  up  of  six  separate  ca 
nals  in  the  order  following,  commencing  from  Lake  Ontario. 

1.  Galop's,  length  2  miles,  lockage,    -        -  8  feet. 

2.  Point  Iroquois,  length  3  miles,  lockage,      6  feet. 

3.  Rapid  Plat,  length  4  miles,  lockage,  -     11 J  fcet. 

4.  Farren's  Point,  length  f  mile,  lockage,   -    4  feet. 

5.  Cornwall,  length  11J  miles,  lockage,         48  feet. 

6.  Beauharnois,  length,  11 J-  miles,  lockage,  82£  feet. 

Total  length,  32J  miles,  lockage,    •'-'     "l60~feet. 

The  first  four  of  these,  canals  having  an  aggregate  length 
of  9J  miles,  and  29J  feet  of  lockage,  arc  not  used  by  vessels 


descending,  the  depth  of  water  in  the  river  being  ample  for 
their  safe  passage,  and  the  channel  broad.  This  fact  we  shall 
have  occasion  to  refer  to  hereafter. 

Upon  the  outlet  of  Lake  Champlain,  is  the  Chambly  Canal, 
11 J  miles  long,  with  locks  120  by  24  feet,  and  six  feet  depth 
of  water,  overcoming  the  fall  (about  65  feet,)  at  the  Cham 
bly  rapids,  and  below  is  a  dam  at  St.  Ours,  12  miles  from  the 
St.  Lawrence,  with  a  lock  by  which  the  navigation  of  the 
river  is  improved  so  as  to  insure  6  to  7  feet  depth  of  water. 

At  the  distance  of  about  110  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Ottawa,  is  the  junction,  at  By  town,  or  Ottawa  City,  of  the 
Bideau  Canal  with  that  river. 

This  improvement  extends  to  Lake  Ontario  at  Kingston, 
127  miles,  of  which  57  miles  only  is  canal,  the  remainder  be 
ing  river  and  lake  navigation.  The  summit  level  is  165 
feet  above  Lake  Ontario,  the  total  lockage  455  feet,  and  locks 
127J  feet  by  46  feet,  with  5  to  5J  feet  depth  of  water.  Be 
tween  By  town  and  Montreal  are  three  short  canals,  the  Car 
illon,  Blondeau,  and  Grenville,  to  pass  obstructions  on  the 
Ottawa  river,  with  locks  110  by  30  feet,  and  five  feet  depth  of 
water. 

From  Lake  Erie,  at  Buffalo,  to  tide-water  at  Albany,  is  the 
Erie  Canal,  of  New  York,  located  for  over  150  miles  within 
7  to  25  miles  of  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  having 
7  feet  depth  of  water,  350  miles  in  length,  with  a  rise  and 
fall  of  644  feet,  overcome  by  locks,  the  chambers  of  which 
are  110  by  18  feet.  Connecting  with  this  canal  at  Syracuse, 
is  another  leading  to  Oswego  on  Lake  Ontario,  of  the  same 
dimensions  and  size  of  locks,  and  from  this  latter  there  is  a 
smaller  navigation  by  the  way  of  the  Oneida  river  and  lakes 
to  the  Erie  Canal  at  Oneida  Creek,  forming,  in  conjunction 
with  the  Erie  Canal  and  Oswego  river,  a  navigation  between 
Lake  Ontario  and  the  Hudson  river,  204  miles  in  length,  and 
having  a  rise  and  fall  of  614  feet.  This  navigation  can  be 
enlarged  and  improved,  and  the  distance,  it  is  supposed,  less1 
ened  about  9  or  10  miles. 

From  Lake  Champlain  is  the  Champlain  Canal,  of  the 
same  dimensions  with  the  Erie  Canal,  connecting  with  the 


8 

latter  nino  miles  from  Albany,  having  a  length  of  62  miles, 
and  a  rise  and  fall  of  179  feet,  or  204  feet  to  Albany.  The 
summit  level  of  this  canal  is  1£0  feet  above  tide. 

The  above  comprise  the  improvements  made  and  in  opera 
tion,  leading  from  the  lakes  named  to  the  eastern  seaboard, 
omitting  those  in  the  valley  of  the  Susquehannah.  These 
improvements  are  all  situated  in,  and  owned  in  the  Canadas, 
except  the  New  York  and  Sault  St  Marie  Canals. 

To  the  West  the  navigation  of  the  lakes  is  connected  with 
that  of  the  Mississippi  by  a  Canal  from  Cleveland  to  Ports 
mouth  on  the  Ohio  river,  310  miles  long.  Another  from  the 
Maumee  river  to  the  Ohio  river,  (The  Wabash  and  Erie  Ca 
nal,)  467  miles  in  length.* 

To  these  are  to  be  added  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal, 
from  Chicago  on  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Illinois  river,  and  the 
improvement  from  Green  Bay,  in  Wisconsin,  to  the  Wiscon 
sin  river.  The  two  latter  named  being  the  most  prominent  and 
important,  as  connecting  the  navigation  of  the  lakes  with  the 
Mississippi  by  very  short  lines  will  alone  be  considered.  Tho 
Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  has  a  length  of  96  miles,  with  6 
feet  depth  of  water,  locks  110  by  18  feet,  and  a  rise  and  fall 
of  158  feet.  Its  summit  level  is  8  feet  above  Lake  Michigan, 
and  it  has  17  locks  of  about  9  feet  lift  each.  From  the  junc 
tion  of  this  Canal  with  the  Illinois  river  to  the  mouth  of  the 
latter  upon  the  Mississippi  the  descent  is  32  feet  in  216  miles, 
making  the  elevation  of  the  Mississippi  at  that  point  above 
the  sea  400  feet,  nearly,  and  the  rise  and  fall  from  Chicago 
to  the  same  point,  190  feet. 

The  line  from  Green  Bay  in  Wisconsin  follows  the  Fox 
river  46  miles,  in  which  distance  it  rises  160  feet  to  Winne- 
bago  lake,  and  after  passing  through  a  portion  of  the  lake  (16 
miles)  enters  the  Upper  Fox  river  which  it  follows  110  miles 
to  within  two  miles  of  the  Wisconsin  river,  where  is  a  canal 
connecting  the  two,  the  ascent  from  Lake  Winnebago  to  tho 
divide  of  the  rivers  being  63  feet.  From  this  point  the 

•Two  Canals,  tho  Gcnesacc  Valley,  in  Ngw  York,  and  another  leading  from 
EJrte  In  Peniwylrania,  fonnert  with  tho  Alleghany  rircr  at  point*,  where  there 
i*.  at  present,  only  a  dfurrtxlinp  naTipntinn  on  that  mer. 


descent  to  the  Mississippi  by  the  Wisconsin  river  is  75  feet 
nearly,  viz. :  45  feet  in  the  first  55  miles  and  30  feet  in  the 
remaining  65  or  70  miles,  making  the  total  rise  and  fall  from 
Green  Bay  to  the  Mississippi  298  feet  nearly,  and  the  eleva 
tion  of  the  Mississippi  at  the  point  of  junction  725  feet  above 
the  sea.  The  locks  upon  this  line  are  160  by  35  feet,  and  the 
entire  length  is  295  miles  from  Green  Bay  to  the  Mississippi. 

In  respect  to  the  larger  lakes  and  their  navigable  connec 
tions  with  the  seaboard,  such  is  the  character  of  the  entrances 
to  the  several  harbors  upon  the  former,  and  depth  of  water 
in  the  St.  Clair  river,  that  vessels  navigating  them  are  limited 
to  a  maximum  draft  of  about  ten  feet,  the  depth  of  water 
upon  the  bars  and  in  the  St.  Clair  river  not  much  exceeding 
that  amount  in  the  ordinary  condition  of  the  lakes.  The 
Sault  St.  Marie  canal,  we  have  seen,  is  adapted  to  vessels 
having  a  draft  of  11  feet ;  vessels  of  this  description  can  navi 
gate,  with  the  required  improvement  on  St.  Clair  river,  the 
large  surface  covered  by  the  lakes  Superior,  Huron,  Michi 
gan  and  Erie,  which  have  in  the  aggregate  a  shore  line  of 
nearly  5000  miles.  These  lakes  receive  from  the  vast  and 
fertile  regions  lying  to  the  west  and  southwest  in  the  valley 
of  the  Mississippi,  the  immense  amount  of  produce  which 
those  regions  furnish,  and  must  continue  to  furnish  for  the 
Atlantic  and  European  markets,  but  it  cannot  reach  the  form 
er  in  such  vessels  as  are  best  suited  to  the  navigation  of  the 
lakes,  but  must  be  trans-shipped  at  Buffalo  and  other  points, 
and  passed  on  in  smaller  vessels  in  a  mode  less  favorable  for 
cheap  transit,  and  in  consequence  there  is  imposed  upon  both 
the  producer  and  the  consumer  a  burden  which  should  be 
remofed  if  possible. 

The  New  York  canals  with  only  a  depth  of  7  feet  can  pass 
vessels  of  only  about  6  feet  draft  and  17  feet  width  of  beam, 
and  the  Welland  and  St.  Lawrence  canals,  although  the  locks 
are  much  larger,  limit  the  draft  to  9  and  8  feet.  The  latter 
if  of  ample  size  in  all  respects,  would  not  meet  the  wants 
of  the  commerce  of  the  lakes,  which  can  only  be  properly 
provided  for  and  accommodated  by  the  construction  or  open 
ing  of  channels  which  shall  lead  most  directly  and  expeditious- 
2 


10 

ly  to  those  cities  upon  the  seaboard  as  New  York,  Boston, 
<fec.,  which  now  control  and,  for  all  time,  probably,  must  con 
tinue  to  control  the  American  trade  of  the  North  Atlantic. 

So  far,  therefore,  as  regards  the  navigation  of  the  lakes  the 
great  desideratum  is,  first,  to  render  Lake  Ontario  accessible 
to  the  larger  vessels  navigating  the  upper  lakes,  and  second 
ly,  to  open  from  the  latter  to  the  eastern  seaboard  a  naviga 
tion  which  shall  be  the  cheapest  and  best  possible,  a  naviga 
tion  which  shall  be  suited  to  the  lake  harbors  and  which  will 
permit  lake  going  vessels  of  the  class  most  profitable  for  trans 
portation,  to  deliver  their  cargoes  unbroken  upon  the  sea 
board,  and  to  take  back  from  the  latter  and  the  region  adja 
cent,  whatever  the  trade  between  the  East  and  the  West  shall 
require  to  be  conveyed. 

An  examination  of  the  country  without  regard  to  national 
boundaries,  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  a  navigation,  connect 
ing  the  lakes  named  with  the  Eastern  seaboard,  to  be  the  best 
and  cheapest  possible  must  be  opened  upon  one  or  all  of  the 
three  following  routes. 

First.  The  enlargement  and  improvement  of  the  naviga 
tion  from  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  to  the  Hudson. 

Second.  The  improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  the  connection  of  the  latter  river  by  canal  -with 
Lake  Cham  plain,  and  improvement  of  the  communication 
from  the  latter  to  the  Hudson. 

Third.  The  opening  of  a  communication  from  Lake  Huron 
to  the  Hudson  by  the  route  of  the  French  and  Ottawa  rivers, 
connecting  with  the  last  named  line  near  Caughnawaga  on 
the  St.  Lawrence. 

Fourth.  The  opening  of  a  communication  from  the  Qreorg- 
ian  Bay  of  the  same  lake  direct  to  Lake  Ontario,  thence  con 
necting  with  the  lines  mentioned  leading  to  the  seaboard  from 
that  lake.  • 

Necessary  to  the  first  of  these  improvements  is  a  better 
communication  between  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  than  is  now 
offered  by  the  Welland  canal,  a  communication  which  will 
enable  vessels  of  the  larger  class  to  pass  easily  from  one  lake 
to  the  other.  This  improvement  should  be  placed  in  the 


11 

vicinity  of  the  Niagara  river  where  the  distance  is  the  least 
possible,  and  where  the  difference  in  elevation  of  the  lakes 
can  be  overcome  in  the  shortest  time  and  with  the  least  ex 
pense.  The  ground  for  this  purpose  has  been  instrumentally 
examined  by  competent  engineers,  all  of  whom  have  pro 
nounced  in  favor  of  the  practicability  of  the  undertaking. 
The  last  survey  was  for  a  marine  railway  as  a  substitute  for  a 
canal  which  was  also  pronounced  practicable.  These  surveys 
all  commence  at  Schlosser  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  and 
terminate  with  two  or  three  exceptions  a-t  Lewiston,  the  dis 
tance  to  the  latter  place  being  about  eight  miles. 

Examinations  and  surveys  made  by  the  Canadian  authori 
ties,  some  ten  years  since,  show  that  a  canal  of  the  desired 
dimensions  can  be  constructed  over  very  favorable  ground 
from  the  St.  Lawrence  river  to  the  outlet  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain.  The  level  of  this  outlet  at  St.  Johns,  the  north 
ern  limit  of  the  natural  navigation  from  that  lake,  meets  the 
St.  Lawrence  at  a  point  31  feet  above  Lake  St.  Louis,  or  51 
feet  below  Lake  St.  Francis,  on  the  line  of  the  Beauharnois 
canal.  A  level  canal  from  this  latter  point  will  run  nearly 
parallel  with  the  south  shore  of  Lake  St.  Louis  to  near 
Caughnawaga  before  taking  a  more  eastwardly  course.  At 
Caughnawaga  a  connection  with  the  St.  Lawrence  at  Lake 
St.  Louis  is  indispensable  to  accommodate  the  trade  of  the 
Ottawa  valley,  and  the  city  of  Montreal.  The  surveys  show 
that  the  line  of  canal  from  Caughnawaga  to  St.  Johns  may 
be  shortened  ten  miles,  making  the  entire  distance  25J  miles, 
by  passing  a  summit  37J  feet  above  the  river  at  St.  Johns. 
This  summit  is  attained  at  a  point  four  miles  from  Caugh 
nawaga,  which  point  is  the  proper  place  for  the  junction  of  the 
line  16  miles  in  length  from  Beauharnois.  A  canal  thus  con 
structed  will  connect  with,  and  be  fed  from,  the  Beauharnois 
canal,  at  a  point  14  feet  below  the  level  of  Lak*  St.  Francis, 
or  681  feet  above  Lake  St.  Louis,  and  the  current  in  it  will 
be  in  a  direction  favorable  to  the  descending  trade. 

From  St.  Johns  to  Lake  Champlain  there  is  a  good  naviga 
tion  in  the  lowest  stage  of  the  lake  for  vessels  drawing  7  to 
8  feet  water,  which  may  be  increased  by  dredging  in  soft 


12 

material  in  three  or  four  places  to  11  or  12  feet.  This  lake 
varies  about  6  to  7  feet  in  its  level  from  the  same  causes 
which  influence  the  other  lakes.  The  alternations  of  high 
and  low  water  are  however  more  frequent  from  its  smaller 
size  and  great  elevation  of  the  country  on  either  side  of  it. 

A  survey  of  the  Champlain  canal  made  some  years  since, 
and  examination  of  the  ground  over  which  it  passes  for  a  rail 
road,  hy  the  writer,  show  that  a  larger  navigation,  a  naviga 
tion  having  12  feet  depth  of  water,  may,  without  difficulty, 
be  formed  from  Lake  Champlain  to  the  Hudson  river,  to  be 
fed  like  the  present  canal  from  that  river. 

The  route  described  from  Lake  Huron  via  French  river  to 
the  Ottawa  and  by  the  latter  river  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  has 
recently  been  instrumentally  examined.  From  this  examina 
tion  it  appears  that  a  navigation  may  be  opened,  by  an  im 
provement  of  the  French,  and  Matcwan  and  Ottawa  rivers, 
which  will  pass  vessels  drawing  11  feet  water  from  Lake 
Huron  to  the  St.  Lawrence  at  Lake  St.  Louis.  The  summit 
level  upon  this  line  is  83  feet  above  Lake  Huron,  and  the  dis 
tance  between  the  waters  of  Lake  Nippissing  or  French  river 
and  the  Matcwan  branch  of  the  Ottawa  only  4£  miles,  and  only 
53  miles  of  independent,  and  13  miles  of  enlarged  canal, 
with  the  necessary  locks,  guard  locks  and  dams,  are  needed, 
as  supposed,  to  perfect  the  navigation  the  entire  distance  of 
422  miles  to  the  St.  Lawrence  at  Lake  St.  Louis  ;  the  remain 
ing  portions  being  natural  navigation  with  ample  depth  of 
water. 

At  the  junction  with  the  St.  Lawrence,  on  the  southeast  side 
of  Montreal  island,  this  route  meets  the  canal  proposed  and 
described  above  from  Caughnawaga  to  the  outlet  of  Lake 
Champlain. 

From  Lake  St.  Louis  a  connection  already  exists  with  tide 
water  at  Montreal  by  means  of  the  Lachine  canal,  81  miles 
long,  which  overcomes  an  elevation  of  46  feet.  This  canal 
may  be  enlarged  so  as  to  give  12  feet  depth  of  water,  as  may 
also  the  series  of  St.  Lawrence  canals  westward  to  Lake  On 
tario. 


13 

From  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake  Huron  to  Lake  Ontario,  sur 
veys  have  been  made,  by  the  way  of  Lake  Simcoe,  disclosing 
two  routes  terminating  at  Toronto.  The  highest  or  summit 
ground  is  about  700  feet  above  Lake  Ontario,  and  as  Lake 
Huron  is  341  feet  above  the  same  lake,  this  summit  would 
give  1060  feet  rise  and  fall  between  the  two  lakes.  This  it  is 
supposed  can  be  greatly  lessened.  This  distance  is  about  100 
miles,  and  the  main  summit  is  about  25  miles  from  Lake 
Ontario.* 

For  the  purpose  of  comparing  the  several  routes  named, 
we  have  collected  all  of  the  important  facts  relating  to  each, 
viz. :  their  length,  extent  of  lake  navigation,  and  of  unob 
structed  river  navigation,  the  rise  and  fall  upon  each,  and 
extent  of  artificial  canal,  now  in  use  and  required,  and  other 
details,  a  portion  of  which  have  been  given  above.  These 
facts  and  details  have  been  derived  from  actual  measurements, 
and  from  the  most  authentic  sources.  The  routes  described 
all  converge  or  meet  at  Albany  on  the  Hudson,  and  hence 
that  city  will  be  considered  as  the  terminus  on  the  seaboard. 
To  make  New  York  city  the  terminus  would  not  change  mate 
rially  the  relation  of  the  routes  as  it  would  only  add  150 
miles  of  unobstructed  river  navigation  to  each.  Neither 
would  their  relation  be  changed  if  it  should  be  necessary  in 
order  to  obtain  the  required  depth  of  water  in  the  Hudson  to 
carry  the  improvement  in  the  navigation  to  some  point  below 
the  city  of  Albany. 

For  the  Lake  Superior  trade  the  initial  or  starting  point, 
a  point  which  the  entire  eastward  bound  trade  of  that  lake 
must  pass,  is  assumed  at  the  lower  end  of  Sugar  island  at  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Mary's  river.  For  Lake  Michigan  the  point 
is  placed  at  the  straits  of  Mackinaw.  For  Lake  Huron  it  is 
supposed  to  be  at  the  mouth  of  French  river,  the  head  of 
the  Georgian  Bay,  and  at  Sarnia  at  the  entrance  into  the 

*For  a  general  view  of  the  canals  and  navigable  rivers  and  lakes  of  the  Union 
and  their  relation  to  the  commerce  and  prosperity  of  its  several  sections,  the  reader 
is  referred  to  the  excellent  letters  of  the  Hon.  Rob't  J.  Walker,  T.  Y.  Howe,  and 
John  A.  Poor  and  others,  to  the  Canal  Convention,  held  at  Chicago  in  1 863, 
published  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Convention. 


14 

river  St.  Clair.     For  Lake  Erie  at  Buffalo,  and  for  Lake 
Ontario  at  Oswego  and  Ogdensburg. 

The  lakes  and  their  outlets  and  canals  as  above  described, 
including  the  Upper  Mississippi  and  its  branches  are  all  closed 
by  ice  for  a  portion  of  the  year.  The  Erie  canal  is  opened 
for  navigation  in  the  spring  about  the  23d  of  April.  This  is 
the  average  for  41  years  ending  in  1864 ;  the  earliest  date 
being  March  27th,  and  latest  May  6th.  Lake  Erie  at 
Buffalo  is  clear  of  ice  about  the  16th  of  April ;  this  is  the 
average  for  38  years  ending  as  above  ;  the  earliest  date  being 
the  7th  of  March ;  the  latest  the  16th  of  May.  Navigation 
upon  the  canals  continues  for  about  seven  months  in  the  year 
very  nearly,  that  of  the  lakes  is  longer,  ending  first  upon 
Lake  Superior,  and  then  upon  the  northern  parts  of  Lake 
Huron  and  Michigan.  The  Hudson  river  from  Troy  or 
Albany  to  New  York  is  always  open  as  early  as  the  canals, 
and  this  is  the  case  with  the  Upper  Mississippi  and  its  branches 
unless  Lake  Pepin  is  occasionally  an  exception. 


NAVIGABLE  ROUTES  FROM  THE  LAKES  TO  THE 
EASTERN  SEABOARD. 


LAKE   SUPERIOR  TRADE. 

i 

^ 

ii^ 

Sugar  Island,  St.  Mary's  River  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  Route. 

-d 

«  « 

5 

.12 

*3 

j  p 

6 

s 

24 

mil's  m  1's 

.il'8 

feet. 

eet 

1.  Lake  Erie,  Ontario,  Oswego,  and  Erie  Canal. 
Sugar  Island  to  Sarnia  Outlet  of  Lake  Huron, 

260 

Sarnia  to  Buffalo, 

265 

55 

10 

Buffalo  to  Oswego, 
Oswego  to  east  end  of  Oneida  Lake, 

135 
21 

27 

20 

8 
17 

120 

331 

Oneida  Lake  to  Albany, 

135 

69 

425 

Total  distance,  943  miles. 

681 

102 

160 

189 

766 

2.  Lake  Erie  and  Erie  Canal  from  Buffalo. 

Sugar  Island  to  Buffalo,  as  above, 

525 

55 

10 

Buffalo  to  Albany, 

350 

44 

611 

Total,  930  miles. 

525 

55 

350 

44 

621 

3.  Lake  Erie,  Ontario,  St.  Lawrence,  and  Champlain. 

Sugar  Island  to  Buffalo,  as  above, 
Buffalo  to  Ogdensburg  by  proposed  Niagara  Ship  Canal, 
Ogdensburg  to  the  outlet  of  Lake  Champlain,  St.  Johns, 
Outlet  of  Champlain  at  St.  Johns  to  Burlington,  Vt, 

525 
180 

42 

55 

77 
*74 
26 

*57 

( 

10 
339 
138 

Total,  1044  miles. 

747 

232 

65 

4 

487 

Burlington,  Vt.,  to  Albany, 

72 

72 

54 

150 

Total,  1188  miles. 

819 

232 

137 

60 

637 

4.    Ottawa  River  and  Lake  Champlain. 

Sugar  Island  to  the  mouth  of  French  River, 

175 

Mouth  of  French  River  to  Caughnawaga  on  St.  Lawrence, 
Caughnawaga  to  outlet  of  Lake  Champlain,  St.  Johns, 
St.  Johns  to  Burlington,  Vt., 

40 
42 

31 
2 

66 
26 

8 
70 

601 

Total,  691  miles. 

257 

34 

92 

159 

elm 

Burlington,  Vt,  to  Albany, 

72 

72 

6 

150 

Total,  835  miles. 

329 

34 

164 

213. 

788* 

5.  Georgian  Bay,  Lake  Ontario,  Oswego,  and  Erie  Canal. 
Sugar  Island  to  head  of  Georgian  Bay, 

270 

Georgian  Bay  to  Toronto, 

5 

1 

81 

23 

507 

Toronto  to  Oswego, 

140 

Oswego  to  Albany,  as  above, 

21 

2 

152 

18 

425 

Total,  703  miles. 

436 

3 

237 

41 

995 

6.  Georgian  Bay,  Ontario,  St.  Lawrence,  and  Champlain. 
Sugar  Island  to  Toronto,  as  above, 

275 

1 

8£ 

>    23 

570 

Toronto  to  Ogdensburg, 
Ogdensburg  to  Burlington,  Vt,  as  above, 

175 
42 

5 

10 

s: 

r 

8 
138 

Total,  794  miles. 

492 

16 

142    23 

716 

Burlington,  Vt,  to  Albany, 

72 

75 

I     6 

150 

Total,  938  miles. 

564    16 

21^ 

I   29 

866 

*Five  miles  are  taken  from  the  actual  distance  by  canal  and  added  to  the  distance  by  the 
river,  for  the  reason  that  vessels  in  descending  the  river  do  not  pass  or  make  use  of  the  four 
first  canals,  embracing  a  distance  of  9]  miles.  This  change  is  made  upon  the  St.  Lawrence 
routes  in  all  the  computations  which  follow. 


16 

In  a  manner  similar  to  the  preceding  the  facts  relating  to 
the  routes  leading  from  each  of  the  other  lakes  have  been 
ascertained  the  details  of  which  need  not*  be  given,  as  what 
ever  is  requisite  for  instituting  a  comparison  between  them  is 
embodied  in  the  table  or  summary  which  follows. 

In  column  A,  of  the  table,  opposite  each  designated  route,  is 
given  its  total  length  in  miles.  In  the  next  column,  B,  the  ex 
tent  in  miles  of  lake  and  unobstructed  river  navigation.  In  col 
umn  C,  the  extent  in  miles  of  canal.  In  column  D,  the  total 
rise  and  fall  in  feet.  In  column  E,  the  length  of  canal  in  miles 
which  is  considered  equivalent  to  the  total  rise  and  fall.  In 
column  F,  the  estimated  time  of  transit  over  each  route  in 
hours.  In  column  G,  the  relative  time  and  relative  cost  of 
transportation,  the  same  numbers  being  found  to  represent 
both,  under  the  proportions  assumed  in  the  estimate. 


17 


TABLE— COMPARISON  OF  ROUTES. 


I 

ift 

4 

.£    . 

I 

Cd 

S 

til! 

1 

JjjE|,|*| 

U 

ROUTE. 

g 

•7PwP  * 

1 

oi  "£J    ho  a;        <*> 

5 

1 

|sji|ii 

i 

03 

•3 

i 

|  i  ;  °  *  ;|  "g 

a 

3 

6 

« 

3  §  BJS  So 

mis.  mis.  !mla.  feet   imls.  hrs. 

09 

Sugar  Island  to  Albany. 

A.     JJ.  ~c~~   D.    |B. 

K.      G. 

1 

.   Lake  Erie,  Ontario,  Osuego  and  Erie  Canal, 
2.   Lake  Erie,  and  Erie  Canal  from  Buffalo, 

943   783   1601  955! 
930   5SO   35Q!  665: 

96   162  1. 
67^  177  1.09 

i 

i.   Lake  Eue,  Ontario,  St.  Lawrence  and  Champlain, 
:.   Ottawa  River  and  Lake  Chnmplain, 

11881051    137   697  |     7<>   183  1.13 
835   67     1641002  !  1001  loOj    .93 

p« 

».   Georgian  Bay,  Ontario,  Oswego  and  Erie  Canal, 

703   466   237:1414 

142   153,    .95 

m 

6.   Georgian  Bay,  St.  Lawrence  and  Champlain, 

933   724   214;  1156 

116   173  1.07 

0 

Sugar  Island  to  Burlington,  Vt. 

2 

..   Ottawa  River,  and  Lake  Champlain, 
2.    Lake  Erie,  Ontario,  and  St.  Lawrence, 

691   599;    92 
104!    979     65 

798 
493 

80   118 
49    151 

.73 
.93 

© 

Mackinaw  to  Albany. 

1 

.   Lake  Erie,  Ontario,  Oswego  and  Erie  Canal, 

953   793   160  955 

96!  163  1. 

£ 

1     Lake  Erie,  and  Erie  Canal  from?  Buffalo, 

940!  59"!  350  j  665 

67^  178!  1.09 

a 

!.   Lake  Erie,  Ontario,  St.  Lawrence  and  Champlain, 

1198  106r  137    697: 

7oi  184  1.13 

8, 

:.   Ottawa  River,  and  Lake  Champlain, 

870|  706  1M1UQ2  1  1  OJ  154;    .95 

i.    Georgian  Bay,  Ontario,  Oswego  and  Erie  Canal, 

713   476   237il414     142:  155!    .96 

." 

6.    Georgian  Bay,  St.  Lawrence,  and  Champlain, 

948 

734   2141156 

116   174 

1.07 

s 

Mackinaw  to  Burlington,   Vt. 

01 

1.   Ottawa  River,  and  Lake  Champlain, 

726 

634     92   798 

80  122     .75 

i 

2.   Lake  Eiie,  Ontario,  and  St.  Lawrence, 

1054 

989     65;  493 

49,  152     .93 

Sarnia  to  Albany. 

1 

[.   Lake  Erie,  Ontario,  Oswego  and  Erie  Canal, 

683 

f>23'  160 

955 

96   129  1. 

® 

2.    Lake  Erie,  and  Erie  Canal   from  Buffalo, 

670 

32"   350   665 

67'  144  1.12 

li 

3.    Lake  Erie,  Ontario.  St.  Lawrence,  and  Champlain, 

928 

791   137   697 

70!  151  1.17 

^3 

Mouth  of  French  River  to  Albany. 

g 

4.   Ottawa  River,  and  Lake  Champlain. 

660 

:9     1641002 

ICO   128 

.99 

3 

Georgian  Bay  to  Albany. 
5.    Ontario,  Oswego  and  Erie  Canal, 

433 

| 
196   2371414 

142!  119 

.92 

g 

i.   Ontario,  St.  Lawrence,  and  Uhamplain, 

668 

454   2141156 

116   13<J 

1.08 

^ 

Sarnia  to  Burlington,  Vt. 

(3 

1.   Lake  Erie,  Ontario,  and  St.  Lawrence, 

784 

719 

65   493 

49 

118 

.91 

Mouth  of  French  River  to  Burlington,  Vt. 

2.   Ottawa  River,  and  Lake  Champlain, 

516 

424 

92   798 

80 

97 

.76 

Buffalo  to  Albany. 

i 

'C   .  1.   Lake  Ontario,  Oswego  and  Erie  Canal, 

363 

2031  160 

945 

95 

89  1. 

w  -§  2.   Erie  Canal, 

350 

350   655 

66   104  1.17 

jg  2  3.   Lake  Ontario,  St  Lawrence,  and  Champlain, 

608 

471 

137   687 

69;  110  1.23 

Buffalo  to  Burlington,  Vt. 

•1.   Lake  Ontario,  St.  Lawrence,  and  Champlain, 

464 

£99 

65  483 

48 

78 

.88 

.2 

Oswfgo  to  Albany. 

5   . 

1.   Oswego  Canal,  Oneida  Lake,  and  Erie  Canal, 

193 

41 

152(  614 

62 

59 

1. 

ol 

Ogdentburg  to  Albany. 
2.   St.  Lawrence  and  Lake  Champlain, 

343 

214 

129J  348 

35 

68 

1.15 

|- 

Ogdensburg  to  Burlington^  Vt. 

1 

3 

I.   St.  Lawrence  and  Lake  Champlain, 

199 

142     57!  144 

15     36;    .61 

18 

In  computing  the  length  of  canal  due  to  the  rise  and  fall, 
we  have  adopted  the  customary  relation  for  smaller  sized 
canals,  ten  feet  of  rise  and  fall  being  supposed  equivalent  to 
one  mile  of  canal.  This  proportion  is  based  upon  the  sup 
position  that  the  cost  and  maintenance  of  a  lock  of  ten  feet 
lift  is  equal  to  the  cost  and  maintenance  of  one  mile  of 
canal,  and  that  the  time  occupied  in  passing  such  a  lock  is 
equal  to  the  time  occupied  in  passing  the  mile  of  canal. 
This  proportion  is  less  true  probably  of  large  sized  canals, 
such  as  now  contemplated,  but  may  be  considered  near  enough 
for  our  purpose.  The  error,  if  any,  will,  we  think,  if  cor 
rected,  rather  increase  than  lessen  the  differences  presented 
in  the  table.  The  cost  of  transportation  upon  natural  waters, 
when  estimated  per  ton  per  mile,  varies  so  greatly,  as  the 
distance  is  more  or  less,  that  it  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible, 
to  frame  a  rule  applicable  to  all  cases  which  shall  be  strictly 
correct. 

The  assumption  that  the  cost  upon  canal  is  double  the  cost 
upon  lake  and  river  for  the  same  distance,  is  probably,  from 
such  facts  as  we  have  been  able  to  obtain,  the  most  favorable 
for  the  canal,  and  a  similar  remark  may  be  made  as  to  the 
estimate  of  time,  for  while  eight  miles  is  easily,  and  often 
made  by  steam  vessels  in  the  navigation  of  the  lakes  and 
rivers,  lour  miles  per  hour  is  seldom  made  by  them  on 
canals. 

If  this  is  a  correct  conclusion  the  comparison  which  is  pre 
sented  in  the  table  exhibits  those  lines  which  have  a  larger 
portion  of  canal  in  a  too  favorable  light.  The  comparison 
also  assumes  that  upon  all  of  the  routes  the  canals  upon  each 
have  a  size  adequate  to  the  passage  of  vessels  of  eleven  feet 
draft  of  water.  This  probably  will  never  be  true  of  the  Erie 
Canal,  or  at  least  of  that  portion  of  it  from  Buffalo  to  near 
Rome,  and  if  made  true  from  Rome  to  the  Hudson  it  must 
be  by  a  change  of  plan  involving  the  reconstruction  of  almost 
the  entire  line.  The  plans  heretofore  proposed  for  enlarging 
this  portion  have  not  contemplated  more  than  about  one  foot 
addition  to  the  depth  and  15  to  20  feet  to  the  width,  owing 
to  the  great  cost  and  difficulty  of  enlarging  beyond  those 


19 

limits.  This  will  make  transhipment  necessary  at  Buffalo 
and  at  Oswego  or  Oneida  Lake,  which  will  increase  the  ex 
pense  and  the  time  somewhat  upon  both,  unless  these  are 
counterbalanced  by  the  saving  in  the  use  of  a  lighter  class  of 
steam  vessels,  as  compared  with  their  tonnage,  upon  the  canals 
and  upon  the  Hudson  river,  or  the  use  of  steam  tugs  upon 
both,  or  the  adoption  of  a  cheaper  and  more  expeditious 
mode  of  overcoming  the  elevation  at  the  eastern  extremity 
of  the  canal,  where  is  concentrated  two-fifths  of  the  lockage 
upon  it,  or,  of  all  combined.  This  latter  change  is  deserving 
of  the  serious  attention  of  all  who  are  interested  in  the  navi 
gation  of  the  Erie  Canal. 

As  to  the  delay  and  cost  of  transhipment,  that  alone  will 
not  detract,  except  in  a  slight  degree,  from  the  superiority 
of  the  Oswego  route,  and  will  not  affect  the  comparison  be 
tween  that  route  and  that  of  the  Erie  Canal  from  Buffalo, 
since  in  the  case  of  the  latter,  transhipment  can  not,  under 
any  circumstances,  be  avoided. 

It  will  be  seen  that  because  of  the  proportions  assumed  be 
tween  canal  and  lake  and  river,  in  estimating  time  and  cost  of 
transportation,  that  the  percentage  of  advantage  or  disadvan 
tage  is  the  same  for  each,  as  shown  in  the  table.  That  is,  if 
there  is  a  saving  or  loss  of  a  certain  percentage  in  time,  there 
will  also  be  a  saving  or  loss  of  the  same  percentage  in  the 
cost  of  transportation. 

It  is  proper  to  state  that  the  table  shows  the  relative  time 
and  cost  of  transportation  upon  the  several  routes  upon  the 
supposition  that  locks  are  used  to  overcome,  in  all  cases,  the 
rise  and  fall  where  assistance  is  required. 

It  should,  however,  be  understood,  in  respect  to  the  com 
munication  between  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  that  the  great 
difference  in  elevation  of  the  two  is  all  to  be  overcome  (such 
is  the  formation  of  the  ground)  in  a  very  short  distance,  a 
circumstance  not  the  most  favorable  for  the  adoption  of  the 
customary  means  of  locks,  but  supposed  to  be  favorable  for 
the  substitution  of  a  marine  railway  or  inclined  plane  for 
effecting  the  same  object  for  the  smaller  class  of  vessels  if  not 
for  the  larger.  If  by  the  adoption  of  this  substitute  the  time 


20 

and  cost  of  passing  vessels  can  be  lessened,  there  will  result  a 
saving  of  time  and  cost  upon  all  of  the  routes  benefited  by 
the  improvement. 

We  have  assumed  the  connection  to  be  made  between  the 
St.  Lawrence  and  Lake  Champlain  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
accommodate  equally  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Ottawa  routes. 
By  leaving  the  St.  Lawrence  at  a  point  higher  up,  the  distance 
from  Lake  Ontario  or  Ogdensburg  to  Lake  Champlain  may  be 
lessened  without  adding  to  the  amount  of  lockage.  Such  a 
position,  however,  for  the  canal  would  add  to  its  length  and  cost, 
and  render  necessary,  ultimately,  another  canal  from  Lake  St. 
Louis  to  accommodate  both  the  valley  of  the  Ottawa  and  the 
city  of  Montreal  in  their  trade  with  the  States.  The  route  to 
the  former  passing,  as  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  map, 
within  nine  to  ten  miles  of  the  latter  city. 

From  the  results  presented  in  the  table  the  following  con 
clusions  are  drawn,  viz.  : 

That  the  best  navigable  route  for  the  vast  trade  between 
the  great  lakes  and  the  waters  of  the  Hudson  is  the  one  by 
the  way  of  Lake  Ontario  to  Oswego,  and  thence  by  the  Oswe- 
go  river  and  Oneida  lake  to  Albany,  the  difference  being,  for 
the  Lake  Superior  and  Lake  Michigan  trade,  nine  per  cent, 
in  favor  of  the  Lake  Ontario  and  Oswego  route  as  compared 
with  the  route  by  the  Erie  canal  from  Buffalo ;  twelve  per  cent 
for  the  Lake  Huron  trade,  and  seventeen  per  cent,  for  the 
Lake  Erie  trade  ;  and  this,  irrespective  of  any  superiority 
which  a  marine  railway  may  possess  either  as  an  auxilary  or 
a  substitute  for  overcoming  the  elevation  at  Niagara  over  the 
common  method  of  locks. 

That  for  a  portion  of  this  trade  from  the  upper  lakes  the 
route  by  the  way  of  the  Ottawa  river  and  Lake  Champlain 
to  the  Hudson,  possesses,  if  the  proper  connection  is  made 
with  Lake  Champlain,  a  nominal  advantage  over  the  route 
first  above  named,  via  Oswego,  of  about  five  to  seven  per 
cent  as  shown  in  the  table,  which,  however,  is  nearly  or  quite 
counterbalanced  by  the  fact  of  that  route  being  in  a  foreign 
territory,  and,  from  its  greater  elevation  above  the  sea  and 
higher  northern  position,  more  liable  to  obstructions  from  ice. 
Moreover,  when  the  improvement  shall  be  actually  made,  the 


21 

portion  which  is  estimated  as  canal  may,  it  is  supposed,  be 
somewhat  increased,  and  no  account  is  made  in  the  table  of 
the  greater  number  of  guard  locks  and  obstructions  from 
fluctuations  in  the  level  of  the  rivers,  which  must  be  greater 
on  that  route  than  upon  the  St.  Lawrence. 

As  to  the  trade  of  Lake  Ontario,  the  time  and  cost  from 
Oswego  to  Albany  is  so  much  less  than  from  the  outlet  of  the 
lake  by  the  way  of  Lake  Champlain  to  the  same  point  that 
the  former  route  is  clearly  the  best. 

It  appears,  from  the  above  comparison  of  routes,  that  if 
the  one  from  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake  Huron  to  Lake  Onta 
rio  can  be  opened  on  as  favorable  ground  as  contemplated,  it 
will  form  an  important  channel  for  a  portion  of  the  upper 
lake  business.  The  lockage  upon  it  as  assumed  in  the  table, 
'exceeds  the  lockage  at  Niagara  469  feet,  a  difference  which, 
under  the  mode  of  computation  adopted,  is  equivalent  to  47 
miles  of  canal  or  94  miles  of  lake  and  river  navigation,  an 
amount  which  deprives  it  of  much  of  the  advantage  it  has  in 
actual  distance. 

The  construction  of  this  canal  will  not  detract  from,  but 
add  to,  the  importance  of  the  routes  via  Oswego  and  by  the 
St.  Lawrence  as  already  shown.  The  Georgian  Bay  is  said 
to  be  longer  obstructed  by  ice  than  the  upper  part  of  Lake 
Huron.  As  to  the  precise  amount  of  this  obstruction  we  are 
not  fully  informed,  and  cannot  state  its  effect  upon  the  navi 
gable  season.  If  the  rise  and  fall  or  distance  or  both  shall 
prove  to  be  less  than  we  have  assumed,  the  difference  in  its 
favor  will  be  correspondingly  increased.  If  the  summit  can 
be  reduced  to  the  level  of  Lake  Simcoe  within  reasonable 
limits  of  expense,  it  will  make  a  difference  in  favor  of  this 
route  of  3  or  4  per  cent  greater  than  is  stated  in  the  table. 

In  improving  the  navigation  of  the  lakes  and  waters  con 
nected  with  them,  regard  should  be  had  to  their  rratural  capa 
bilities  and  the  necessities  of  trade.  The  craft  which  experi 
ence  shows  to  be  in  many  particulars  the  best  adapted  to  lake 
navigation  is  the  screw  propeller.  Vessels  of  this  description 
are  increasing  in  number  upon  the  lakes,  and  they  must  con 
tinue  to  increase,  and  rapidly,  if  a  channel  is  opened  for  them 


to  tide  water.  Unlike  other  vessels  their  form  and  mode  of 
propulsion  is  very  well  adapted  to  the  navigation  of  the  pro 
posed  canals  and  passage  of  the  locks  or  railway  planes  should 
these  latter  be  found  advantageous.  As  now  constructed 
very  few  of  these  vessels  exceed  600  tons.  One  of  the  largest 
has  a  length  of  234  feet  drawing  when  loaded,  ten  and  one- 
half  feet,  and  its  burthen  is  850  tons,  equal  to  28,000  bushels 
of  wheat.  The  size  proposed  for  locks  in  the  Congressional 
bill  of  last  session,  viz. :  275  by  45  feet  with  12  feet  depth  of 
water  is  not  too  large  for  the  Niagara  improvement,  neither  is 
it,  so  far  as  regards  the  depth  of  water  in  the  canal,  more  than 
is  needful  for  the  improvements  leading  from  Lakes  Ontario 
and  Huron  to  the  seaboard.  Two  feet  difference  in  the  depth 
upon  the  mitre  sills  of  the  locks  and  of  the  canals  for  this 
portion,  with  a  corresponding  increase  in  the  width  of  the 
latter,  is  not  too  much  to  ensure  a  proper  rate  of  movement 
to  vessels,  and  in  arranging  the  dimensions  for  the  locks,  which 
of  necessity  limit  the  size  and  form  and  draft  of  vessels,  it 
should  not  be  forgotten  that  the  very  great  magnitude  of  the 
internal  as  compared  with  the  external  commerce  of  the 
country  requires  that  the  vessels  and  means  used  should  be 
the  best  adapted  to  the  purpose.  Whatever  system  therefore 
is  the  best  for  the  internal  trade  should  not  be  interfered  with 
or  sacrificed  in  the  expectation  of  a  benefit  to  be  derived  from 
making  it  conform  to  the  exigencies  of  ocean  navigation. 

The  lakes  and  their  connections  offer  a  wide  field  for  capital 
and  enterprise,  a  field  wide  enough  not  to  be  materially  bene 
fited  by  assimilating  to  Ocean  navigation  in  those  particulars 
in  which  they  naturally  and  necessarily  differ.  Locks  of  too 
large  dimensions  are  costly  to  build  and  keep  in  repair,  diffi 
cult  to  operate,  require  more  time  to  pass  vessels,  and  maybe 
so  large  as  to  be  a  positive  and  serious  disadvantage  rather 
than  a  benefit  to  trade.  They  may  have  the  effect  to  dis 
courage  individual  enterprise  by  rendering  a  smaller  class  of 
vessels  less  profitable,  and  thus  serve  to  throw  the  trade  into 
the  hands  of  a  few  comparatively  and  expose  the  country  to 
the  evil  of  monopolies.  In  the  coast  wise  trade  which  is 
larger  than  the  foreign  trade  of  the  country,  vessels  are  em- 


23 

ployed  of  all  sizes  from  100  to  500  tons  Costing  from  87,000 
to  $40,000,  sums  not  so  large  as  to  prevent  masters  from 
becoming  sole  owners,  or  the  owners  of  a  major  interest  in 
each.  These  vessels  would  not  be  built  if  they  were  not 
required  by  public  convenience,  and  as  the  navigation  in 
which  they  are  employed  has  a  character  similar  to  that  of 
the  lakes,  with  the  single  exception,  that  they  have  no  locks 
to  pass;  or  but  rarely,  and  are  not  subjected  to  any  loss  or 
inconvenience  in  that  respect,  it  is  the  more  evident  that  ves 
sels  of  similar  tonnage  will  continue  to  be  employed  in  large 
numbers  upon  the  lakes. 

These  vessels  will  doubtless  many  of  them  become  sea 
coasters  during  the  winter  months  and  will  be  constructed 
accordingly.  These  considerations  are  more  particularly 
applicable,  as  stated,  to  the  channels  leading  from  the  lakes  to 
tide  water.  Lake  Superior  being  already  united  with  Lake 
Huron  by  a  canal  having  12  feet  depth  of  water,  vessels 
adapted  to  that  depth  can  traverse  the  entire  expanse  of  those 
lakes  and  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  with  some  further  expendi 
ture  at  the  St.  Glair  Flats,  the  whole  of  Lake  Erie. 

This  being  the  case,  the  short  connection  between  Lake 
Erie  and  Lake  Ontario  should  be  of  a  character  to  bring  Lake 
Ontario,  with  its  600  miles  of  shore  line  and  8,000  square 
miles  of  surface,  upon  the  same  navigable  plane  with  the  upper 
lakes,  so  that  in  conjunction  with  them  it  can  perform  its  proper 
part  in  the  internal  trade  of  the  country,  from  which  it  is 
now  in  a  great  measure  excluded. 

In  this  view  there  is  a  propriety  in  considering  that  the 
Niagara  canal  has  an  office  to  perform  which  makes  it  an 
exception  to  those  other  and  longer  channels  made  up  of  river 
and  canal  mostly,  which  connect  the  entire  lake  system,  Lake 
Ontario  included,  with  the  seaboard.  Lake  Ontario  is  cer 
tainly  entitled  to  special  consideration  from  its  great  size,  and 
from  its  position,  reaching  as  it  does  half  way  from  Lake  Erie 
to  tide  water,  and,  also,  from  the  railway  lines  leading  from 
its  eastern  extremity  to  the  seaboard,  now  amounting  to  four 
in  number  in  operation,  and  two  other  important  ones,  the 
Sackets  Harbor  and  Midland,  in  progress.  These  railways 


24 

and  others  leading  from  the  lakes  will  necessarily  participate 
largely  in  the  trade  and  the  more  largely  because  of  the  slow 
movement  in  the  confined  channel  of  the  canal,  and  hence  it 
is  a  question  worthy  of  consideration  whether  the  amount  need 
ful  to  give  the  canals  and  their  locks  a  depth  and  size  suited 
to  profitable  ocean  navigation,  would  not  be  better  applied  in 
giving  to  the  former  still  greater  width  and  depth  to  facilitate 
the  more  rapid  movement  of  vessels  upon  them. 

Because  of  the  very  slow  movement  upon  the  Erie  canal, 
slower  now  than  before  its  enlargement,  freight  for  the  inte 
rior  which  has  a  higher  value  in  proportion  to  its  weight  or 
bulk  than  the  seaward  freight  is  now  carried  mostly  upon  the 
railways.  Prior  to  the  construction  of  the  latter  the  propor 
tion  of  the  two  on  the  Erie  canal  was  as  1  to  4  or  5,  now 
(1865)  it  is  as  1  to  8. 

The  question  of  the  relative  cost  of  transportation  upon 
the  canals  as  proposed  to  be  enlarged,  and  upon  unobstructed 
natural  waters  is  one  of  importance,  and  especially  so  in  com 
paring  and  determining  the  merits  of  different  routes.  Bear 
ing  upon  this  subject  are  some  facts  stated  in  a  paper  ad 
dressed  by  the  auditor  of  the  canal  department  of  New  York 
to  the  public  under  date  of  Sept.  14,  1865.  In  this  letter 
the  cost  of  transportation  of  one  bushel  or  60  Ibs  of  wheat  in 
lake  vessels  from  Chicago  to  Buffalo,  1000  miles,  and  from 
Buffalo  to  New  York  city  by  the  Erie  canal  and  Hudson  river 
850-f  150=500  miles  is  stated  as  follows : 

1861,  Lake  freight,  11.63,  Canal  and  River,  exclusive  of  tolls,  9.64,  Canal  toll,  5.17. 

1862,  "         "         10.49,       "  "  «  «         9.63,       "         "    6.21. 

1863,  «         "  7.51,       "  «  «  «         9.58j       «         «    6.21. 
18G4,        "         "           9.58,       "             "                    «  «       12.57        "         "    6.21. 


Total,         fJJHUl  4J_41-42_  _ 

Average,          9.78  10.36~  6.«T 

Calling  the  ton  2000  Ibs.,  the  average  cost  of  transporta 
tion,  is  per  ton,  for  Lake  freight,  $3.26,  Canal  and  River,  ex 
clusive  of  tolls,  83.45,  tolls,  11.98. 

This  for  Lake  freight  is  3j  mills  per  ton  per  mile.  Stip- 
posing  Uudson  River  freight  to  be  5  i  mills  per  ton  per  mile, 


25 

which  is  the  usual  deduction  on  freight  for  New  York  deliv 
ered  at  Albany,  we  have  for  the  Canal  freight,  as  follows: 

Canal  and  Hudson  River,  per  ton,  as  above,  average,     $3.45 
Hudson  River  150  miles,  5i  mills  deduct,  .83 


Leaves  Canal  freight  per  ton,  $2.62 

$2.62  per  ton  for  350  miles  is  7£  mills  per  ton  per  mile,  and 
$1.98  per  ton  for  tolls  is  5T7ff  mills,  making  together,  13  T\  mills 
per  ton  per  mile.  The  fluctuation  in  prices  was  very  consid 
erable  during  the  seasons  named  above.  It  is  not  stated  how 
the  averages  were  obtained,  whether  from  the  time  or  from 
the  quantities  of  wheat  conveyed.  If  the  former,  then  they 
are  probably  below  the  true  mean,  as  prices  rule  highest  when 
vessels  are  most  in  demand.  The  above  is  for  the  single  arti 
cle  of  wheat.  The  trade  seaward,  composed  mainly  of  agri 
cultural  products,  largely  exceeds  in  tonnage,  as  stated,  that 
of  the  return  trade.  Hence  the  charges  should  be  greater 
upon  the  return  trade.  They  are  in  fact  about  double  upon 
the  Hudson  River,  and  treble  upon  the  Erie  Canal.  The 
above  prices  for  canal,  it  is  supposed,  include  cost  of  tranship 
ment,  &c.,  at  Buffalo.  If  they  do  not,  that  cost  is  to  be 
added. 

From  the  preceding  it  appears  that  the  cost  of  transporta 
tion  per  mile  by  lake  from  Chicago  to  Buffalo  is  only  four- 
tenths  of  the  cost  per  mile  upon  the  Erie  Canal  as  enlarged 
to  its  present  dimensions,  and  only  one  fourth  if  the  canal 
tolls  are  included. 

As  it  regards  time  or  speed,  it  should  be  understood  that 
the  round  trip  from  Buffalo  to  New  York  city,  and  back, 
is  seldom  made  in  less  than  one  month.  This  indicates  that 
the  speed  upon  the  lakes  has  a  much  greater  ratio  to  that  on 
the  canal,  than  that  of  the  cost  (1  to  2)  inverted,  showing 
very  conclusively,  as  elsewhere  stated,  that  the  results  in  the 
table,  under  the  proportion  assumed  of  1  to  2  and  2  to  1  are 
not  exaggerated,  but  fall  short  of  the  actual  difference  be 
tween  canal  and  lake  and  unobstructed  river  navigation. 

Upon  the  route  via  Lake  Ontario  and  Oswego  the  actual 
4 


26 

cost  to  the  consumer  has  hitherto  not  differed  greatly  from 
the  cost  by  the  Erie  Canal  from  Buffalo.  This  is  attributable 
in  part  to  the  imperfect  connection  between  the  lakes  by  the 
Welland  Canal,  and  in  part,  probably,  to  the  fact  that  at  the 
mid  season,  when  business  is  dull  comparatively,  lake  vessels, 
that  at  other  seasons  tranship  at  Buffalo,  extend  their  trips 
to  Oswego,  so  that  the- business  of  the  two  routes  is  to  a  cer 
tain  extent  in  the  same  hands. 

It  is  stated  that  the  Erie  Canal  has  a  capacity  much  be 
yond  the  business  hitherto  done  upon  it.  This  is  not  easily 
reconciled  with  the  fact  of  the  very  slow  movement  of  boats 
11  pun  it,  not  much  exceeding  on  the  average  one  mile  per 
hour.  But  whether  it  has  capacity  for  the  entire  trade  be 
tween  the  East  and  the  West  is  not  the  question.  Is  it  or 
can  it  bo  made  the  cheapest  and  most  expeditious  navigable 
route  from  the  lakes  to  the  seaboard  ?  The  facts  presented 
show  very  clearly  that  it  can  not.  They  show  that  the  route 
via  Oswego  is  superior  to  it,  and  that  attention  should  be  par 
ticularly  directed  to  its  further  improvement.  If  at  the  same 
time  the  other  routes  named  can  be  opened  so  as  to  secure  a 
certain  and  wholesome  competition,  the  effect  to  both  producer 
and  consumer  will  be  most  salutary.  The  relative  cost  of 
transportation  beiog  of  the  most  importance  in  this  investi 
gation,  a  reduction  of  prices  given  to  the  gold  standard  lias 
not  been  deemed  necessary— -such  reduction  would  not  change 
materially  the  conclusions  as  to  the  merit  of  the  different 
routes. 

The  actual  cost  of  transportation  per  mile  upon  natural 
watery,  unobstructed  and  having  sufficient  depth,  depends,  as 
must  have  been  observed,  very  much  upon  the  extent  of  con 
veyance  or.  length  of  the  voyage. 

The  Ocean  freights  from  New  York  to  Europe  for  the  years 
above  named,  according  to  the  authority  quoted  above,  ranged 
for  the  period  named,  of  four  years,  from  6  to  12  cents  on 
each  bushel  of  wheat,  or  from  two  to  four  dollars  per  ton,  or 
from  twu  thirds  of  a  mill  to  one  and  a  third  mills  per  ton  per 
mile.  The  practical  results  stated  above,  although  derived 
I  Mini  only  a  single  item,  but  a  most  important  one,  indicate 


27 

the  great  superiority  of  unobstructed  natural  navigation  over 
the  confined  channel  of  a  canal  on  which  animal  power  is 
used,  and  they  indicate  also  the  importance  of  avoiding  the 
use  of  the  latter  and  of  giving  to  the  canals  as  much  breadth 
of  surface  as  possible  to  prevent  injury  to  the  banks  and  to 
lessen  the  resistance.  If  the  canals  in  question  are  of  such 
size  as  to  permit  "vessels  like  the  lake  propellers  to  traverse 
them  by  their  own  means  of  propulsion,  at  the  rate  named, 
of  four  miles  per  hour,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the 
cost  of  transportation  will  be  materially  lessened.  The  fail 
ure  of  the  enlarged  Erie  Canal  to  lessen  the  cost  of  transpor 
tation  to  the  degree  predicted  by  its  advocates  can  not,  when 
all  the  circumstances  are  fairly  considered,  be  urged  with  any 
great  force  against  canals  of  the  size  and  operated  in  the  man 
ner  of  those  now  contemplated. 

These  remarks  are  made  to  show  that  we  have  in  the  com 
parison  made  in  the  table,  underrated  rather  than  overrated 
the  disparity  between  canal,  and  lake  and  river  navigation. 
Instead  of  the  proportion  of  two  to  one  and  the  reverse,  for 
cost  and  time,  a  higher  ratio  would  be  nearer  the  truth  for 
both,  if  the  enlarged  Erie  Canal  is  taken  for  a  standard.  If 
the  proper  relation  could  be  ascertained  the  general  conclu 
sion  arrived  at  would  still  be  the  same,  only  a  little  more  in 
tensified  in  the  one  case  than  in  the  other.  There  can  be  no 
very  cheap  transportation  by  tracking  with  animal]power,'and 
no  speed  greater  than  the  walk  of  a  horse  or  mule,  which 
can  not  be  assumed,  for  the  greatest  useful  effect,  at  more 
than  two  to  two  and  a  half  miles  per  hour,  or  from  tone-fifth 
to  one-third  of  the  movement  of  propellers  upon  [the  lakes, 
and  one-half  their  movement  in  the  confined  channel  of  the 
canal.  The  actual  speed  of  loaded  boats  upon  the  enlarged 
Erie  canal,  unobstructed  by  other  boats,  is  only  one  and^a 
half  miles  per  hour.  This  includes  the  passage  of  the  locks. 
In  assuming,  therefore,  as  is  done  in  forming  the  table,  the 
proportions  of  one  to  two,  for  speed,  and  two  to  one  for  cost, 
the  canal,  it  is  believed,  is  allowed  all  the  importance  to  which 
it  is  probably  entitled.  A  ratio  nearer  the  truth,  would,  we 
repeat,  exhibit  the  lines  or  routes  which  have  most  canal,  in 
a  less  favorable  light  than  is  shown  in  the  table. 


28 

The  views  we  have  presented  have  reference  mainly  to  the 
navigation  of  the  lakes  and  their  outlets  and  connections. 
It  has  not  heen  our  intention,  nor  is  it  necessary  for  the  pur 
pose  of  this  essay  to  enter  into  an  investigation  of  the  railway 
system  as  a  means  of  intercommunication  between  the  Lakes 
and  the  Ocean.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  show  that  for  freight 
which  has  great  weight  and  bulk  in  proportion  to  its  value, 
such  as  agricultural  products,  and  which  does  not  demand 
the  most  rapid  transportation,  conveyance  by  water  is  the 
cheapest  and  best  mode,  provided  the  disparity  in  distance 
is  not  too  great.  Such  conveyance  is,  however,  limited  to, 
at  most,  seven  months  of  each  year,  which  is  about  the  extent 
of  the  navigable  season  upon  the  lakes  and  canals  under 
review.  To  supply  this  deficiency  and  give  rapid  transit  at 
all  seasons,  and  to  connect  the  interior  with  the  nearest  navi 
gation,  railways  are  indispensable  ;  and  extended  as  the  sys 
tem  now  is,  a  still  further  extension  and  improvement  is  now, 

'  or  will  soon  be,  demanded  ;  and  in  particular  a  line  of  rail 
way  is  greatly  needed  which  shall  be  located  upon  the  best 
ground  and  the  most  direct  route  from  Chicago  to  New  York 
city,  especially  adapted  to  the  most  speedy  and  cheap  trans 
portation  of  freight,  and  still  another  of  the  same  character 
from  Oswego  on  Lake  Ontario  to  the  Hudson. 

These  lines,  for  the  especial  purpose  named,  would  be  a 
great  public  convenience.  The  companies  owning  existing 
lines  between  the  same  extreme  points,  which  are  now  doing 
a  large  mixed  business,  could,  we  believe,  with  great  advant 
age  to  the  public  and  profit  to  themselves,  unite  in  forming 
the  new  lines  mentioned  for  the  purpose  of  facilitating  the 
transportation  of  freight. 

It  will  be  seen  from  an  inspection  of  the  table,  and  the  re 
marks  which  follow  it  above,  how  very  important  is  the  open- 
ng  of  the  route  by  the  way  of  Lake  Ontario  and  the  Erie 
Canal  to  Albany  ;  and  how  very  important,  also,  is  the  pro- 
pi  ,-ed  connection  between  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  at  Niagara, 
a  connection  which  should  be  so  formed  as  to  overcome  the 
difference  in  elevation  of  the  lakes,  in  the  cheapest  and  most 
expeditious  manner,  and  with  dimensions  suited  to  the 

largest  class  of  lake  vessels. 


29 

With  a  connection  of  this  character  it  is  seen  that  the  route 
from  Lake  Erie,  by  the  Erie  Canal  to  the  Hudson,  will  not 
only  be  excelled  in  cheapness  and  in  expedition  by  the  route 
via  Lake  Ontario  and  Oswego,  but  will  possess  no  advantage 
over  the  route  via  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Lake  Champlain  to 
the  same  point,  and  that  this  latter  route  is  very  greatly  su 
perior  to  any  other  in  its  relation  to  the  trade  between  the 
West  and  that  portion  of  New  England  and  New  York  which 
borders  upon  or  can  be  reached  from  the  waters  of  Lake 
Champlain,  a  region  which  is  now  dependent  upon  the  Erie 
and  Champlain  Canals  for  a  navigable  communication  with 
the  West,  and  upon  the  circuitous  route  of  the  Sorel  and  St. 
Lawrence  Rivers  for*  a  communication  with  the  valley  of  the 
Ottawa. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  table,  and  by  reference  to  the  maps, 
that  produce  from  the  West  can  be  delivered  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain  by  the  St.  Lawrence  route  at  one-fourth  less  cost  for 
transportation,  and  in  less  time  than  by  the  Erie  and  Cham- 
plain  Canals,  and  moreover  that  the  connection  of  Lake 
Champlain  with  the  Ottawa  valley  will  be  shortened  full  90 
miles,  and  the  rise  and  fall  lessened  118  feet,  an  improvement 
of  great  importance  because  of  the  fact  that  New  England 
and  the  valley  of  the  Hudson  are  depending  largely  upon  it 
for  a  supply  of  lumber,  and  this  dependence  must  continue  for 
a  series  of  years  to  come. 

The  improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
River,  and  its  connection  with  Lake  Champlain,  as  proposed, 
and  the^  construction  of  such  a  communication  with  Lakes 
Erie  and  Ontario  at  Niagara  as  will  enable  the  latter  lake  to 
become  a  channel  for  the  trade  of  the  West,  will  have  a  most 
important  influence  in  developing  the  resources  of  all  that 
portion  of  New  York  lying  north  of  the  Mohawk  and  Oneida 
Lake  valleys,  a  portion,  the  most  of  it,  now  in  a  state  of 
nature,  but  which  will  iii  time  be  filled  with  a  large  popula 
tion. 

To  the  superficial  observer  the  great  topographical  feature 
of  this  portion  of  New  York  is  the  Adirondac  Mountains,  the 
highest  of  which  surpasses  somewhat  in  elevation  the  highest 


30 

of  the  Green  Mountains,  but  the  great  and  important  feature 
is  the  immense  and  elevated  plateau  or  table  upon  which  those 
mountains  rest,  the  mountains  occupying  only  a  portion  of  its 
surface  on  the  eastern  and  southeastern  part. 

This  table  or  plateau  covers  a  space  of  nearly  5,000  square 
miles,  and  is  elevated  from  1,GOO  to  2,000  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  and  from  1,400  to  1,700  feet  above  the  St.  Law 
rence  and  Lake  Cham  plain.  From  its  surface  the  waters  flow 
in  all  directions  forming  the  Chazy,  Saranac,  Au  Sable,  and 
Boquet  rivers  on  the  east,  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  with  its 
branches  on  the  south,  Fish  creek  and  Black  river  and  the 
Indian  and  Oswegatchie  on  the  west,  and  the  Grasse,  Racket, 
Regis,  Salmon  and  Chatcaugay  river*  on  the  northwest 
and  north. 

These  waters  have  a  rapid  descent  to  the  vallies  below,  less 
rapid,  however,  towards  the  west  and  north  and  northeast, 
than  in  the  other  directions,  and  they  flow  from  innumerable 
lakes  and  ponds  which  are  scattered  over  the  surface 
of  the  plateau,  and  which  are  so  numerous  and  so  nearly 
upon  the  same  level,  that  with  short  carrying  places  the  entire 
extent  of  the  plateau  from  its  northeast  to  its  southwest  part 
can  be  easily  traversed  in  light  canoes.  These  lakes  and 
ponds  form  reservoirs  which  retain  the  flood  waters.  Their 
elevation  lessens  the  waste  from  evaporation,  and  the  rivers 
leading  from  them  are  rendered  remarkably  equable  in  their 
flow  at  all  seasons,  and  afford  in  this  view  and  in  view  of 
the  surface  drained  and  greater  rain  fall  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
mountains  and  their  great  descent',  a  water  power  such  as  no 
other  equal  portion  of  the  country  can  boast  either  in  loca 
tion,  in  cluiracter,  or  in  amount.  This  great  power,  exceeding 
that  of  millions  of  horses,  is  situated  in  a  most  healthy  region, 
covered,  the  most  of  it,  by  a  dense  forest,  where  the  land 
is  now  held  to  be  of  but  little  value  comparatively. 

This  region  is  girded  by  the  improvements  we  have  de 
scribed,  which  sweep  its  base  upon  all  sides,  and  by  lines  of 
railway  now  in  operation, and  will  have,  when  the  Saratoga  and 
Saekets  Ilarlmr  nJkid  is  built,  a  line  passing  ci-ntnilly  through 
it.  It  has  great  mineral  and  other  resources,  and  must  rapid- 


31 

ly  001119,  into  notice  in  the  future  and  perform  a  most  impor 
tant  part  in  connection  with  the  industry  of  the  country,  and 
of  the  state  to  which  it  belongs. 

The  improvements  proposed  should  not  be  viewed  as  hav 
ing  any  injurious  tendency  to  divert  the  trade  or  commerce 
of  the  West  from  our  own  seaports.  Montreal  and  Quebec, 
are  both  inaccessible  from  the  sea  during  the  long  Canadian 
winter,  and  the  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  ocean 
being  liable  to  be  obstructed  by  fogs  and  otherwise  rendered 
difficult  and  dangerous,  by  the  heavy  tide  currents,  can  never 
probably,  in  view  of  the  fadt  that  the  capital  or  wealth  of  the 
country  is,  and  will  continue  to  be,  elsewhere  centered,  seri 
ously  interfere  with  the  commerce  of  our  maritime  cities, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  the  opening  of  these  communications 
and  others  direct  with  the  Canadas,  will  render  the  latter 
more  dependent  and  tributary  to  the  growing  cities  of  the 
States,  and  contribute  largely  to  the  removal  of  those  politi 
cal  barriers  which  now  stand  in  the  way  of  their  future  pros 
perity  and  our  own. 

When  the  Erie  canal  of  New  York  was  projected  and  argu 
ments  were  needed  to  show  the  importance  of  its  extension 
to  Lake  Erie,  it  was  that  urged  if  the  Lake  Erie  trade  was  per 
mitted  to  descend  to  Lake  Ontario  it  would  pass  on  down  the 
St.  Lawrence.  The  Welland  canal  was  afterwards  built  with 
locks  much  larger  than  those  of  the  Erie  canal,  and  the 
Oswego  canal  was  also  constructed  and  no  such  result  follow 
ed.  When  arguments  were  again  wanting  to  justify  the 
enlargement  of  the  Erie  canal  throughout  its  entire  length  to 
Buffalo,  the  danger  of  loss  of  trade  in  the  direction  named, 
was  again  urged  in  opposition  to  opening  the  better  and 
cheaper  route  by  Lake  Ontario  and  the  Niagara  canal.  The 
Welland  canal  has  since  been  enlarged  to  its  present  dimen 
sions,  and  the  Oswego  canal  also  enlarged,  and  the  St.  Law 
rence  canals  constructed,  and  no  such  dreaded  result  .has  fol 
lowed,  but  on  the  contrary,  the  vessels  passing  the  former 
have  been  mainly  destined  for  Oswego,  and  those  carrying 
wheat  and  corn  to  Canadian  ports  have  done  so  principally 
for  the  purpose  of  having  those  articles  converted  into  flour 


32 

ami  meal  to  be  again  shipped  with  Canadian  products,  for 
our  own  ports  and  markets.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  in 
terest  which  has  opposed,  and  hitherto  st>  successfully,  the 
opening  of  the  Ontario  route,  by  the  construction  of  the  Ni 
agara  canal,  opposed  also  the  opening  of  channels  necessary 
to  attract  and  divert  the  trade  of  Lake  Ontario  to  our  own 
seaports.  It  opposed  the  construction  of  the  Oswego  canal 
and  its  subsequent  enlargement,  an  improvement  of  impor 
tance  in  view  of  the  use  made  by  the  Ganadas  of  this  channel 
as  a  means  of  communicating  with  the  ocean  in  preference  to 
the  St.  Lawrence,  o,  use  allowed  to  them  on  payment  of  a 
small  transit  duty,  and  which  has  given  us  much  of  the 
Canadian  sea  going  trade. 

The  very  great  facilities  and  inducements  presented  by  the 
enlargement  of  the  Welland  and  building  of  the  St.  Law 
rence  canals,  as*  stated,  in  connection  with  the  right  of  free 
navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence  under  the  Reciprocity  treaty, 
has  not  operated  seriously,  or  in  any  degree  worthy  of  note, 
to  divert  the  trade  of  the  lakes  in  that  direction.  The  entire 
tonnage  which  passed  from  our  own  territories  to  the  lower 
St.  Lawrence  during  the  first  six  years  of  the  operation  of 
that  treaty,  did  not  exceed,  as  stated  on  the  floor  of  the  Sen 
ate,  during  the  discussion  upon  it,  12,000  tons  in  40  vessels, 
the  largest  portion  of  which,  it  is  evident,  could  not  have  been 
sea  going  VOM-IS.  and  were  not  designed  for  the  trade  as 
they  did  not  return  to  the  waters  where  they  were  built  and 
loaded. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  proper  to  state  that  the  Erie 

canal  of  New  York,  from  its  advantageous  location,  is  no 

longer,  as  at  first,  used  mainly  for  the  transmission  of  the 

products  of  the  state  within  which  it  is  situated.     Of  the  va>t 

tonnage  which  annually  finds  its  way  to  tide  water  by  this 

canal, /oi/r  fifths  is  from  the  states  west  of  New  York.     In 

J  ihc  relation  of  the  tonnage  from  the  two  sources  was  as 

7    to    822*257.     This   great    change    and    diiVjreuce 

which  i-    annually   \J\  .  tuu   ii,ip:.ited    to    that   work  a 

character  of  M>    gn;ai    importance   in  a  national  to 

8  no  hill'-  MiiM'-iy  to  the  people  of  those  states  who  are 


33 

compelled  to  use  the  canal  as  a  channel  for  the  transmission 
of  the  products  of  their  labor. 

The  general  government  when  solicited  to  co-operate  or 
engage  in  its  construction  declined  to  do  so.  That  it  was 
wise  thus  to  decline  may  now  with  propriety  be  questioned. 

So  important  both  to  the  East  and  the  West  is  cheapness 
of  transit  that  fears  are  entertained  and  complaints  made  of 
undue  exactions.  If  the  state  of  New  York  is  blameless  in 
this  respect,  and  has  imposed  no  heavier  tolls  than  is  proper, 
she  has  given  just  ground  for  complaint  in  steadfastly  oppos 
ing  through  her  legislature,  and  in  other  ways,  the  opening  of 
the  cheaper  route  between  the  East  and  the  West,  through 
Lake  Ontario,  endeavoring  thus  to  force  the  immense  trade 
of  the  West  through  the  costly  and  tedious  channel  of  the 
Erie  canal  from  Buffalo  to  Albany,  a  course  injurious  to  the 
interests  of  a  large  population  at  the  East  and  at  the  West, 
and  injurious,  also,  to  the  best  interests  of  that  state  and  of 
its  great  emporium. 

Having  said  all  that  we  proposed  to  say  upon  the  question 
of  the  routes  from  the  lakes  to  the  seaboard,  we  now  will 
give  attention  to  those  connecting  the  lakes  with  the  Missis 
sippi,  and  in  what  we  have  to  say  upon  this  subject  we  shall 
consider  only  the  two  more  important  lines  leading  from  Lake 
Michigan  in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin. 

The  leading  features  of  these  have  already  been  described. 
The  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  as  projected,  was  to  have  been 
fed  from  Lake  Michigan,  but  the  cost  of  cutting  down  the 
summit  of  25  feet  was  too  great  for  the  means  at  command, 
and  as  it  could  by  reducing  it  in  part  be  supplied,  or  nearly 
so.  from  a  tributary  to  the  Illinois  river,  and  the  deficiency, 
if  any,  made  up  by  pumping  from  the  Chicago  river,  the  plan 
of  supplying  from  Lake  Michigan  was  laid  aside.  This  navi 
gation  (the  canal  and  Illinois  river)  connects  with  the  Missis 
sippi  but  a  few  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  and 
not  far  from  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 

The  Wisconsin  improvement  from  Green  Bay  is,  in  its 
present  condition,  with  the  exception  of  the  short  canal  at  tho 
Portage,  simply  a  slack  water  navigation  very  imperfectly 


34 

accomplished.  It  connects  with  the  Mississippi  near  Prairie 
Du  Chien  290  miles  in  a  due  north  direction  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Illinois  river,  and  400  miles,  nearly,  following  the 
course  of  the  Mississippi  which  has  in  this  distance  a  descent 
of  about  320  feet,  21  feet  of  which  is  at  the  Des  Moines  rap 
ids,  and  22  feet  at  the  Rock  Island  rapids,  indicating  a  strong 
current,  which,  but  for  its  sinuosities,  would  be  unfavorable 
to  navigation,  and  such  is  the  case  with  all  of  the  Mississippi 
waters  and  its  tributaries  above  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio. 

The  two  lines  in  question  in  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  connect 
with  the  Mississippi  at  points  so  remote  as  not  to  interfere 
materially  the  one  with  the  business  of  the  other. 

The  latter  line  will  derive  its  support  mainly  from  that 
portion  of  the  Mississippi  valley  situated  above  the  mouth  of 
the  Des  Moines  river  or  the  south  line  of  Iowa,  while  the 
former  will  have,  in  addition  to  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi 
below,  the  trade  from  the  Missouri  river  and  valley  which  is 
daily  and  rapidly  increasing,  and  which  will  be  more  than 
sufficient,  probably,  to  give  to  that  channel  all  that  its  capaci 
ty  will  enable  ;t  to  perform. 

The  proper  dimensions  to  be  given  to  these  improvements 
is  a  question  of  importance.  A  little  reflection  will  show 
that  they  should  be  ample  to  accommodate  the  larger  class  of 
vessels  which  navigate  the  Mississippi.  These  canals  are 
destined  to  perform  a  most  important  part  in  relation  to  the 
trade  between  the  east  and  the  west,  and  also  in  relation  to 
the  trade  between  the  lower  Mississippj  and  the  lakes.  The 
large  population  which  is  gathering  about  the  upper  lakes 
will  receive  their  supply  of  tropical  productions  by  the  way 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  lumber  and  other  articles  from  the 
lakes  must  find  their  way  back  in  exchange. 

The  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries  is  of  a 
character  to  require  boats  of  a  peculiar  construction.  They 
are  necessarily  of  light  draft,  and  are  built  with  slender 
frames  and  with  as  little  material  as  possible.  Not  being  ex 
posed  to  the  heavy  strains  of  the  sea,  great  strength  is  not  de 
manded.  To  obtain  capacity  they  are  made  broad  and  long. 
They  are  propelled  by  steam  of  a  high  pressure,  a  pressure  of 


35 

130  to  150  pounds  on  each  square  inch  of  the  boilers,  and  the 
engines,  to  avoid  weight,  are  non-condensing.  But  few  of 
these  river  vessels  have  a  draft  exceeding  four  feet.  The 
canals  leading  from  lake  Michigan  are  not  adapted  to  receive 
these  vessels.  There  is  consequently  a  transhipment  where 
the  navigation  of  the  canals  meets  that  of  the  rivers,  and  an 
other  where  the  former  meets  that  of  the  lakes.  This  break 
ing  of  bulk  or  transfer  of  freight  is  costly,  consumes  time 
and  is  an  injury  to  the  articles  conveyed.  There  need  be, 
and  should  be,  but  one  transhipment.  The  canals  should  be 
enlarged,  and  the  navigation  directly  connected  with  them  im 
proved,  so  as  to  accommodate  the  larger  of  the  river  vessels 
and  that  speedily.  The  country  throughout  the  Upper  Mis- 
sippi  is  filling  up  rapidly,  and  long,  ere  these  improvements 
can  be  made,  they  will  be  wanted.  They  are  even  now  need, 
cd.  The  canals  should  have  at  least  six  feet  depth  of  water, 
with  a  suitable  width,  and  the  locks  should  be  not  less  than 
300  to  350  by  70  or  75  feet.  The  writer  had  occasion  not  long 
since  to  take  the  dimensions  of  many  of  the  principal  steam 
ers  which  navigate  the  Upper  Mississippi,  and  the  above  size 
for  the  locks  is  given  in  view  of  those  measurements.  These 
dimensions  accord  also  with  the  recommendation  of  Messrs. 
Gooding  and  Preston,  engineers,  published  in  the  proceed 
ings  of  the  canal  convention,  already  referred  to. 

With  its  summit  lowered  to  the  level  of  Lake  Michigan, 
as  originally  designed,  the  lockage  upon  the  Illinois  and  Michi 
gan  canal  will  be  reduced  to  142  feet,  making  the  total  descent 
upon  the  canal  and  the  Illinois  river  180  to  190  feet.  The 
river  has  an  average  descent  of  one  and  a  half  to  two  inches, 
nearly,  per  mile,  and  because  of  the  scant  supply  of  water  at 
times  is  less  efficient  in  its  present  condition  than  the  canal. 
The  lowering  or  removal  of  the  summit  and  introduction  of 
the  water  from  Lake  Michigan,  with  such  improvement  by 
dredging  or  erection  of  piers  as  is  required  in  the  river  be 
low,  will  render  the  navigation  what  it  should  and  must  be 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  trade. 

The  line  in  Wisconsin  has  298  feet  total  rise  and  fall  from 
Green  Bay  to  the  Mississippi,  a  distance  of  about  two-thirds 


36 

that  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  improvement,  the  most  of 
which,  1GO  feet,  occurs  upon  the  outlet  of  the  Winnebago 
lake  where  it  is  overcome  by  a  series  of  dams  and  locks.  In 
perfecting  this  improvement  a  greater  extent  of  canal  is  de 
manded  in  place  of  the  channel  of  the  upper  Fox  river  now 
used.  This  is  needed  to  shorten  distance  and  improve  other 
wise  the  navigation,  and  the  Wisconsin  river  for  a  portion  of 
the  distance  where  the  descent  is  greatest  must  also  be  im 
proved. 

The  construction  of  canals  becomes  an  object  only  in  cases 
where  there  are  large  extents  or  lines  of  natural  navigation 
to  be  united,  and  this  is  peculiarly  the  case  with  respect  to 
the  improvements  under  consideration.  Having  the  great 
Lakes  on  one  side  and  the  Mississippi  with  its  tributaries  on 
the  other,  their  construction  is  indispensable.  As  a  general 
means  of  intercommunication  for  the  conveyance  of  both 
freight  and  passengers,  railways  are  in  most  respects  supe 
rior,  but  for  the  transportation  of  agricultural  products  and 
of  other  bulky  and  heavy  articles  where  cheapness  of  transit 
is  an  object,  and  time  of  not  so  much  importance,  and  partic 
ularly  where  they  unite  natural  navigations  which  are  ex 
tensive,  preventing  transhipment,  they  become  a  necessity, 
although  not  available  more  than  seven  months  in  the 
year,  and  such  is  the  case,  as  we  have  shown,  with  the 
canals  leading  west  from  Lake  Michigan,  and  such  also  is  the 
case  with  those  shorter  ones  required  to  perfect,  as  already 
described,  the  communication  between  the  lakes  and  the 
eastern  seaboard.  The  canals  now  in  operation  upon  these 
latter  routes,  imperfect  as  they  are,  form,  in  connection  with 
the  navigation  of  the  lakes  the  cheapest  mode  of  conveyance, 
a  cheapness  which  is  attracting  the  trade  of  the  interior 
strongly  to  the  Chores  of  the  lakes.  It  is  this  which,  in  con 
junction  with  the  railways,  is  building  up  our  lake  cities,  and 
is  yearly  diverting  the  trade  of  the  Mississippi  valley  from, 
points  lower  down  upon  that  river,  to  our  eastern  and  north 
ern  marts,  and  it  is  this  which  will  contribute  greatly  to  render 
what  is  now  known  as  the  northern  railway  route  to  the  Pacific, 
a  route  leading  from  both  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Mississippi 
basins,  superior,  in  connection  with  the  other  great  advantages 


37 

which  it  possesses,  to  other  projected  routes  designed  to  unite 
by  railway  the  oceans  that  bound  us  upon  the  east  and  upon 
the.  west. 

The  important  relation  which  the  navigation  of  the  lakes 
and  of  the  upper  Mississippi"  bears  to  this  proposed  thorough 
fare  will  justify  us  in  dwelling  somewhat  upon  its  character, 
and  its  future  influence  upon  the  internal  commerce  and 
growth  of  the  country. 

This  route  to  the  Pacific,  by  which  is  understood  the  route 
via  St.  Paul  and  the  upper  Missouri  across  to  Clark's  branch 
of  the  Columbia  and  following  the  Columbia  to  the  sea,  or  di 
verging  therefrom  to  the  waters  of  Puget  Sound  or  Admiral 
ty  Inlet,  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  public  prior  to  the 
making  of  the  government  surveys,  in  a  series  of  articles 
from  the  pen  of  the  writer  which  were  published  in  the  Rail 
road  Journal  and  subsequently  in  book  form,  and  it  was 
therein  shown  to  possess  advantages  over  other  proposed 
routes  lying  further  south  in  the  following  particulars  : 

1.  Its  direct  connection  at  its  eastern  extremity  with  the 
cheap  navigation  of  the  great  lakes  and   the  St.  Lawrence 
chain  of  waters,  which   reach  nearly  half  way  from  the  At 
lantic  to  the  Pacific. 

2.  Its  terminus  on  the  Pacific  at  a  point  or  points  more  fa 
vorable  for  concentrating  the  trade  of  that  ocean  and  of  the 
interior,  than  any  other  points  further  south. 

3.  Its  location  along  the  great  valleys  of  the  Mississippi, 
Missouri  and   Columbia  rivers,  which  with  their  tributaries, 
many  of  them,  are  navigable  for  long  distances,  a  navigation 
which  is  of  the  utmost  importance  in  connection  with  the 
proposed  railway  in  facilitating  its  construction,  and  giving  to 
it  support  when  completed. 

4.  Its  connection  with  the. navigation  of  the  Red  River  of 
the  north,  a  navigation  which  extends  through  a  fertile  valley 
into   the  British  possessions,  uniting  there  with  the  Assiiri- 
boine  and  Saskatchewan  rivers,  which  flow  through  a  region 
having  large  agricultural  and  mineral  resources,  as  ascer 
tained  by  explorations  recently  made  under  the  direction  of 
the  Canadian  government. 


38 

5.  In  the  comparative  evenness  of  its  surface  and  consequent 
cheapness,  and  in  the  lowness  of  the  gradients  upon  it,  the 
line  crossing  the  divide  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  where  the 
sources  of  the  Missouri  and  Clark's  branch  of  the  Columbia 
interlock,  the  back  bone  of  the  mountains  being  there  broken 
down  so  as  to  be  overcome  by  a  railway  with  gradients  not 
exceeding  about  forty  feet  to  the  mile,  and  with  its  main  sum 
mit  2500  feet  lower  and  coast  range  summit,  if  the  line  is 
carried  across  it,  4000  feet  lower  than  the  Nevada  summit, 
upon  the  route  through  the  South  Pass  to  San  Francisco. 

6.  Its  freedom  from  deep  snows  in  winter,  the  obstructions 
from  this  cause  being  greatest  upon  the  route  by  the  42d 
parallel  leading  through  Salt  Lake  to  San  Francisco.     This 
difference  in  the  character  of  the  two  routes  is  produced  by  the 
greater  elevation  of  the  latter  route  and  narrowness  of  its 
defiles,  the  absence  of  moisture  in  the  winter  months  in  the 
atmosphere  of  the  northern  route  to  produce  snows. 

7.  In  its  rich  mineral  productions  excelling  probably  in 
this  respect  other  routes.     Its  gold  fields  not  being  surpassed, 
if,  indeed,  they  are  equaled,  by  those  of  California,  and   be 
ing  better  supplied  with  timber,  water  and  fuel,  coal  being 
now  mined  in  Washington  territory  on  the  Pacific,  and  lignite 
of  a  superior  quality  having  been  found  over  an  extensive 
section  of  the  route  and  in  its  vicinity,  and  upon  the  Sack- 
atchewan  valley  north  of  the  national  boundary  east  of  the 
mountains. 

8.  In  its  superiority  over  other  routes  in  its  capability  of 
sustaining  a  greater  population,  and  contributing  more  large 
ly  to  the  support  of  a  railway,  as  evidenced  by  the  greater 
quantity  of  game  found  within  its  limits,  and  its  being  the 
abode  of  the  greatest  number  of  Indians  to  be  found  between 
the  Mississippi  and  the  Pacific,  consisting  of  the  Sioux,  the 
Crows,  the  Mandans,  the  Blackfeet  and  the  Flatheads,  all  ex 
cept   the  Mandans,  being  large   and   powerful   tribes.      All 
these  find  an  easy  and  comfortable  support  in  what  the  coun 
try  can  furnish,  which  cannot  be  said  of  the  resources  of  any 
other  route  to  the  Pacific.      v 

9.  It  constitutes  the  most  direct  and  feasible  route  within 


39 

the  United  States  to  connect  with  the  shortest  line  on  the 
Pacific  to  the  ports  of  China,  Japan  and  eastern  Russia,  it 
being  about  fifteen  hundred  miles  nearer  to  the  ports  of  China 
than  the  route  from  San  Francisco  by  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
and  being  coastwise,  offers  frequent  opportunities  for  obtain 
ing  supplies  of  fuel  and  food,  thus  increasing  the  freighting 
capacity  of  vessels  without  deviating  greatly  from  a  direct 
course. 

10.  It  will  probably  be  found  the  cheapest  and  best  jnte- 
rior  route  from  the  Sacramento  valley  in  California,  where 
most  of  the  population  of  California  is  congregated,  and  also 
from  San  Francisco,  to  the  portion  of  the  Union  which  has 
the  densest  population,  and  to  the  city  of  New  York,  when 
ever  a  railway  shall  be  carried  from  the  Sacramento  valley  to 
the  Columbia  to  meet  it.     Such  a  railway  to  connect  the  pop 
ulations  on  the  Pacific  is  more  important  in  a  military  view  for 
the  defence  of  that  portion  of  the  Union  than  a  line  from  the 
Mississippi  to  the  Pacific. 

11.  The  northern  route  is  superior  in  the  opportunity  it 
affords  for  connecting  the  fertile  portions  of  Western  British 
North  America  with  our  own  markets,  and  giving  to  the  Can- 
adas  as  well  as  to   the  States  the  best  route  to  the  Pacific. 
The  Canadas  having  now  a  population  of  over  four  millions, 
a  route  which  will  best  accommodate  this  population  and  our 
own,  will  be  better  sustained,  and  business  upon  it  will  bo 
done  more  cheaply  and  efficiently. 

Such  is  the  general  character  of  the  climate  upon  the 
northern  route  to  the  Pacific,  that  there  is  a  gradual  amelio 
ration  in  passing  to  the  west  from  Lake  Superior,  and  this, 
notwithstanding  the  rise  of  5000  feet  to  the  divide  of  the 
mountains.  At  Puget  Sound  in  latitude  47°  north  the  mean 
annual  temperature  is  but  little  different  from  that  of  Nor 
folk  in  Virginia,  and  this  mild  character  of  the  climate  ex 
tends  so  far  to  the  north,  that  wheat  is  said  to  mature  in  the 
latitude  of  60  degrees  on  the  Pacific,  700  miles  from  the  in 
ternational  boundary,  and  the  same  is  stated  of  the  country  in 
the  vicinity  of  Edmonton  which  is  situated  near  to  and  east 
of  the  mountains  in  latitude  54°N,  nearly,  and  elevated  1500 
to  2000  feet  above  the  sea. 


40 

When  the  merits  of  the  northern  route  were  first  disclosed 
in  the  publication  mentioned  above,  but  little  was  known  by 
the  public  in  regard  to  it.     The  only  explorers  of  note  were 
Lewis  and  Clarke,  and  their  journal  had  never  been  reprinted, 
except  an  abbreviated  edition  in  the  family  library,  and  as  the 
original  was  published  in  1814,  several  years  after  the  death 
of  Lewis  who  was  the   leading  man  of  the  expedition,  the 
map  accompanying  it,  was  very  defective.     So  general  was  the 
impression  of  the  impracticability  of  the  northern  route  from 
its  elevation  and  from  snows,  that  but  for  the  timely  repre 
sentations  of  the  writer  it  is  very  possible  it  would  not  have 
been  examined,  when  the  government  surveys  were  made. 
The  government  prior  to  instituting  those  surveys  consulted 
various  gentlemen  as  to  the  routes  proper  to  be  explored, 
none  of  whom,  it  is  evident,  understood  fully  the  true  char 
acter  of  the  country  upon  the  northern  route.     One  in  par 
ticular  who  had  made  explorations  to  the  Red  River  of  the 
North,  and  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  south  of  the  Platte,  could 
suggest  no  route  worthy  of  examination  north  of  the  South 
Pass,  and  it  is  well  known  that  the  most  prominent  of  later 
explorers  advocated  a  route  as  the  be^t  still  farther  south,  by 
what  is  known  as  the  Buffalo  or  Cochatopee  Pass,  and  thence 
to  Walker's  Pass  in  the  Nevada  range,  and  this,  after  it  had 
been  clearly  demonstrated  in  the  then  published  memoir  of 
the  writer,  to  be  the  most  impracticable  of  all  the  proposed 
routes.     That  memoir  was  submitted,  at  the  instance  of  the 
Hon.  Robt.  J.  Walker,  who  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  sub 
ject,  to  the  then  Secretary  of  War  in  manuscript,  and  was 
soon  after  followed  by  an  elaborate  report  from  the  Secretary 
upon  the  topography  of  the  country  between  the  Mississippi 
and  Pacific,  and  when  Major  Stevens  was  directed  to  make 
an  examination  of  that  route  the  belief  was  general  that  such 
examination  would  prove  its  entire  impracticability,  and  so 
prepossessed  was  the  Major  himself  with  the  idea  of  encoun 
tering  deep  snows  and  an  elevated  summit,  that  he  remained 
some  time  at  Fort  Benton  to  procure  dogs  and  sleds  with 
which  to  cross  the  mountains.     But  after  traveling  for  three 
days  and  finding  no  snow,  and  no  indications  of  any,  he  ro- 


41 

turned  to  Fort  Benton  for  his  horses,  which  he  had  no  diffi 
culty  in  subsisting  upon  the  grass  of  the  country,  the  snow 
at  the  main  divide  of  the  waters  not  exceeding  one  foot  in 
depth,  and  this  for  a  distance  of  only  six  or  eight  miles. 
The  reconnoisance  of  Major  Stevens  and  subsequent  exami 
nations  of  Lieut.  Mullan  and  others,  completely  confirmed 
the  correctness  of  the  representations  and  conclusions  as 
presented  in  the  memoir.  The  elevations  as  given  in  the 
profile  were  in  no  instance  underestimated,  and  in  this  par 
ticular  there  was  a  remarkable  coincidence,  while  the  map 
which  was  constructed  from  the  verbal  descriptions  of  Lewis 
and  Clark  was  even  more  full  and  correct  than  the  one  first 
prepared  by  Maj.  Stevens.  These  remarks  are  made  more 
especially  because  of  the  little  notice  taken  in  the  government 
reports  of  that  most  valuable  of  all,  the  explorations  made 
between  the  Mississippi  and  Pacific,  by  Lewis  and  Clarke  in 
1803  and  1804,  an  exploration  the  most  remarkable  of  any, 
considering  the  time  and  circumstances  and  cost  to  the  coun 
try,  and  amount  of  information  obtained,  as  shown  by  the 
use  of  it  made  by  the  writer  in  his  exposition  of  the  northern 
route. 

That  exposition  elicited,  at  the  time,  letters  of  commenda 
tion  from  many  gentlemen  distinguished  for  their  scientific 
and  professional  acquirements  and  elevated  views,  several  of 
whom  have  since  paid  the  great   debt  of  nature.     Among 
the  latter  are   Prof.  Renwick  and  W.  C.  Redfield  of  New 
York  city.     Prof.  Silliman  sen.,  of  Connecticut,  Prof.  Thomp 
son  of  Vermont,  Gov.  Doty   of  Wisconsin,  Gov.  Simpson  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  H.  B.  Schoolcraft  of  Washing 
ton,  and  others.     These  and  many  others  now  living  all  con 
curred  in  the  conclusions  arrived  at  in  the  memoir.     Prof. 
Renwick  pronounced    it    a    "most    able    argument,"    sub 
scribes  to  the  importance  of  a  terminus  on  Puget  Sound,  and 
says  that  he  cannot  avoid  concurring  in  "  the  conclusion  that 
the  severity  of  the  climate  and  dangers   of  interruption   by 
snow,  do  not  afford  such  objections  to  a  northern  route  as 
will  outweigh  the  advantages  it  probably  possesses  over  any 
of  the  other  proposed  lines  of  communication  between  the 
6 


42 

States  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific."  Mr.  Redfield  said 
"  it  was  by  far  the  most  direct  and  convincing  elucidation  of 
the  important  question  "  he  had  seen.  Prof.  Silliman  said 
that  he  had  "  read  it  twice  attentively  "  that  it  "  embraced 
from  the  best  authorities  a  comprehensive  and  exact  survey 
of  the  topography,  climate,  productions,  <fce.,  of  the  vast  re 
gion  in  question  in  a  lucid  and  satisfactory  manner,"  and  was 
"  a  production  of  great  merit."  Prof.  Thompson,  who  had 
given  great  attention  to  the  subject  of  meteorology,  expressed 
the  opinion  that  "  the  obstructions  from  snow  will  be  even 
more  formidable  in  the  middle  and  southern  passes  than  in 
the  northern,"  and  for  the  reason  that  "  the  defiles  of  the 
former  are  narrower  and  deeper  and  more  elevated  than  the 
northern."  Gov.  Simpson  testifies  as  to  the  climate  and  pro 
ductions,  having  crossed  the  "mountains  three  times  north  of 
the  latitude  of  49°,  but  could  not  subscribe  to  the  correct 
ness  of  the  estimate  of  elevation  of  the  main  divide  of  the 
mountains,  since  proved  to  vary  but  little  from  the  truth,  by 
the  government  surveys.  He  believed  the  divide  to  be  high 
er.  He  expressed  great  interest  in  the  undertaking,  fully  ap 
preciating,  to  use  his  own  words,  "  the  vast  advantages  that 
must  arise  to  the  United  States  and  adjoining  British  posses 
sions,  in  the  event  of  this  magnificent  scheme  of  a  railroad 
being  carried  into  operation." 

Gov.  Doty,  said  that  he  had  read  with  great  interest  the 
memoir,  and  "  deemed  the  statements  and  arguments  in 
favor  of  the  northern  route  conclusive."  Mr.  Schoolcraft 
most  fully  endorsed  the  conclusions  of  the  writer.  He  said 
there  was  "  one  consideration  to  be  urged  in  favor  of  a 
northern  route  over  any  other,  which  outweighs  every  view 
of  which  the  topic  is  susceptible.  It  is  the  preference  of  soil, 
climate,  and  meteorological  phenomena.  The  northern  route 
will  pass  through  tracts  which  are  capable  of  continuous 
settlement.  Much  of  the  soil  is  first  rate  farming  lands, 
which  will  bear  corn  and  all  the  cereal  grains !  and  these 
lands  can  be  cultivated  without  irrigation,  the  great  objection 
to  the  southern  routes.  It  abounds  in  lively  and  flowing 
streams,  which  will  sustain  arts  and  manufactures,  and  no 


43 

part  of  tho  world  is  better  suited  to  grazing.  It  has  been 
the  error  of  geographers  from  A.  D.  1600,  that  all  of  North 
America  beyond  certain  latitudes  is  filled  with  Serbonian  bogs 
and  Cimmerian  darkness.  The  veil  is  lifted  up,  and  truth 
let  in  precisely  in  proportion  to  the  march  of  true  discovery. 
Once  Michigan,  the  best  wheat  state  of  the  west,  was  deemed 
a  swamp  unfit  to  be  given  to  the  soldiers  of  tho  war  of  1812 
for  bounty  lands.  I  found  corn  and  wheat  good  and  reliable 
crops  on  the  sources  of  the  Mississippi  up  to  the  latitude  of 
49°,  and  Red  River  valley  of  Hudson's  Bay,  north  of  that  lati 
tude  is  known  to  be  a  fine  agricultural  settlement." 

These  opinions,  in  accordance  with  the  conclusions  in  the 
memoir,  have  all  been  verified,  as  stated,  by  the  government 
surveys,  the  results  of  which  have  been  placed  before  the 
public  in  so  full  a  manner  in  the  several  reports  of  Lieut, 
now  Gen.  Saxton,  and  of  Gov.  Stevens  and  his  assistants, 
that  it  is  only  necessary  in  this  place  to  refer  to  them. 

Since,  however,  these  explorations  were  made,  others  have 
also  been  made  from  Lake  Superior  westward  to  the  Pacific, 
north  of  the  international  boundary.  The  most  prominent 
of  these  was  the  one  conducted  by  Prof.  H.  Y.  Hind,  in  1857 
and  1858. 

This  exploration  disclosed  the  fact  that  there  is  a  "  broad 
strip  of  fertile  country,  rich  in  water,  woods  and  pasturage," 
"  possessing  rich  stores  of  lignite  coal,  iron  and  salt,"  "  capa 
ble  of  settlement  and  cultivation,"  extending  from  near  the 
Lake  of  the  Woods,  200  miles  northwest  of  Lake  Superior,  to 
the  passes  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  latest  explorers  of 
this  region,  Lord  Milton  and  Dr.  Cheadle,  report  that  "  all 
the  country  between  the  Saskatchewan  and  Athabasca  is  fer 
tile.  It  will  grow  wheat  and  potatoes  and  all  the  coarser 
grains  in  abundance,  and  contains  large  quantities  of  lignite 
coal,  of  which  wide  seams  are  laid  bare  by  the  water  courses." 

The  region  in  question  is  watered  mainly  by  the  Assini- 
boine  and  Saskatchewan  rivers  and  their  tributaries,  and  the 
group  of  lakes  of  which  Lake  Winnipeg  is  the  principal, 
presenting  in  the  aggregate  a  natural  navigation  of  one  thou 
sand  to  fifteen  hundred  miles  in  extent. 


44 

Between  these  rivers  and  the  Missouri  are  level  or  nearly 
level  plains,  broken  only  by  the  elevation  known  as  the  Coteau- 
du  Missouri,  and  hills  appertaining  thereto,  over  which  branch 
lines  of  railway,  diverging  from  the  main  line  at  suitable 
points,  can  easily  be  constructed.  This  level  and  favorable 
character  of  the  surface  does  not  prevail  in  the  same  latitude 
west  of  the  mountains,  and  judging  from  the  examinations 
of  Dr.  Hector,  and  Licuts.  Palmer  and  Mayne  and  others,  the 
country  in  British  Columbia  offers  no  very  favorable  ground 
for  a  railway  to  the  Pacific,  unless  it  be  as  far  north  as  the 
valley  of  the  upper  Fraser,  and  of  Stewart's  and  Simpson's 
rivers,  a  route  which  it  is  not  certain  can  be  reached  by  a 
sufficiently  practicable  pass  in  the  mountains  leading  from  the 
valley  of  the  North  Saskatchewan.  South  of  this  are  two 
favorable  passes  described  by  Captain  Palliser,  the  Yermillion 
and  Kananaski  in  about  lat.  51°  N.,  but  there  is  no  apparent 
ly  favorable  route  leading  from  these  to  the  Pacific. 

The  conclusion  is  unavoidable,  from  the  preceding  that  the 
only  truly  feasible  route  for  the  great  highway  leading  from 
the  most  populous  region  on  the  Atlantic  in  the  United  States, 
to  that  section  on  the  Pacific  coast,  which  in  time  must  also 
become  the  most  populous,  and  which  passes  in  its  intermedi 
ate  portions  over  ground  the  most  favorable  and  capable  of 
yielding  it  the  largest  support,  is  the  one  known  as  the  north 
ern  route  to  the  Pacific.  Upon  this  route  the  most  remarka- 
able  changes  and  developments  are  about  to  take  place. 

It  is  in  truth,  probably,  the  only  practicable  route  using  the 
term  in  its  proper  sense.  Thousands  are  now  rushing  to  the  gold 
fields  which  fill  a  large  space  traversed  by  it,  many  of  whom 
will  remain  there,  attracted  by  the  mildness  and  salubrity  of 
the  climate.  The  liberal  grant  made  by  Congress  of  lands 
for  a  railway  upon  it  will  induce  capitalists  in  this  country 
and  in  England  to  embark  their  means  in  its  construction. 
To  capitalists  in  the  latter  country  it  presents  greater  induce 
ments  than  any  other  route  because  of  its  importance  to  the 
Canadas.  Unlike  all  other  projected  lines,  its  construction 
will  bo  expedited  and  cheapened  because  accessible  at  so 
many  points,  on  both  sides  of  the  mountains,  by  the  navigation 


45 

of  the  rivers,  and  settlements  will  be  rapidly  formed  along  its 
whole  extent.  The  Red  river  valley  will  become  accessible 
by  it,  and  also  the  valleys  of  the  Assiiiiboine  and  Saskatcha- 
wan.  The  Yellowstone,  of  which  we  have  not  elsewhere  par 
ticularly  spoken,  and  which  with  its  Big  Horn  branch  is  navi 
gable  for  several  hundred  miles,  will  attract  many  to  its  bor 
ders.  The  trade  of  these  vallies  will,  much  of  it,  come  to 
Lake  Superior.  In  the  mountains  and  beyond  them,  along 
Clark's  river  and  its  branches,  and  in  the  valley  of  the  Co 
lumbia,  settlements  will  be  made  such  as  are  now  forming  upon 
the  Pacific.  The  railway  will  probably  have  at  that  extremity 
two  termini,  one  on  the  Columbia  and  one  at  Puget  Sound  or 
Admiralty  Inlet. 

At  these  points  transhipment  to  and  from  Eastern  Asia  will 
take  place.  Upon  one  of  them  will  arise  a  city  which  will 
have  the  same  relation  to  the  trade  of  the  Pacific  as  New 
York  now  holds  to  the  trade  of  the  Atlantic.  The  people  in 
the  valleys  of  the  Missouri  and  Upper  Mississippi  will  get  their 
Asiatic  productions,  their  teas,  their  spices  and  oils,  and  other 
articles,  by  railroad  from  the  Pacific.  These,  when  they 
reach  the  navigation  of  the  Missouri,  which  approaches  to  with 
in  seventy  miles  of  the  divide  of  the  mountains,  will  be  put 
upon  arks  or  rafts  of  lumber,  and  thus  be  floated  down  and 
distributed  at  a  cheap  rate  throughout  the  valley  of  the  Mis 
souri  and  Mississippi. 

The  navigation  of  the  rivers,  as  already  stated,  is  a  remark 
able  feature  in  connection  with  this  route.  Within  ninety 
miles  of  the  main  divide  of  the  mountains,  on  the  west  side, 
are  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Bitteroot  branch  of  Clark's 
river,  and  from  this  point  an  improvement  by  short  canals  and 
locks  in  some  half  a  dozen  places  only,  extends  the  navigation 
to  the  Pacific.  All  of  these  rivers  have  a  remarkably  uniform 
flow.  Their  waters  are  kept  up  in  the  months  of  July  and 
August,  after  the  effect  of  the  winter  and  spring  rains  has 
passed  off,  by  the  melting  of  the  snows  upon  the  more  ele 
vated  ranges. 

While  thus  compelled  to  give  the  preference,  as  we  have 
done,  to  the  Northern  route  for  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific,  it 


46 

must  not  be  inferred  that  the  navigation  of  the  lakes  will  not 
be  benefited,  and  greatly  so,  by  the  opening  of  any  other 
route.  On  the  contrary,  the  route  now  in  course  of  construc 
tion  through  the  South  Pass  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  by  the 
way  of  Salt  Lake  to  San  Francisco,  stands  in  nearly  the  same 
relation  to  it  as  the  Northern  route,  and  if  it  is  not  eventually 
as  large  a  contributor,  is  destined  to  assist  greatly  in  expand 
ing  the  business  of  the  lakes  far  beyond  its  present  limits. 
A  considerable  portion  of  this  route  will  soon  be  in  operation, 
while  the  other  is  still  awaiting  the  action  of  capitalists  under 
the  very  liberal  charter  and  grant  by  the  government,  of  forty 
alternate  sections  of  land  per  mile  in  the  territories,  and 
twenty  alternate  sections  in  the  States  through  which  it  passes. 

The  point  where  the  former  will  at  first  meet  the  cheap 
navigation  of  the  lakes  is  Chicago,  but  should  a  line  of  rail 
way  be  carried  from  near  the  South  Pass  to  Lake  Superior, 
its  connnection  with  the  lakes  will  be  shortened  150  to  200 
miles. 

A  glance  at  the  map  shows  very  clearly  the  advantage 
which  Lake  Superior  possesses  in  reference  to  a  connection 
with  a  railway  to  the  Pacific.  It  will  be  seen  that  its  western 
extreme  is  four  degrees  of  longitude  west  of  the  west  shore 
of  Lake  Michigan. 

Although  the  opening  of  the  routes  named  to  the  Pacific 
will  contribute  largely  to  swell  the  business  of  the  lakes,  and 
of  Lakes  Michigan  and  Superior  in  particular,  this  resource 
is  not  needed  to  bring  to  those  lakes  a  vast  amount  of  trade, 
such  an  amount  as  to  render  absolutely  necessary  the  im 
provements  we  have  described. 

The  country  all  around  Lake  Superior,  although  not  well 
adapted  to  cultivation,  is  remarkably  rich  in  minerals.  Upon 
its  south  side,  copper  and  the  ores  of  iron  are  now  mined  in 
large  quantities,  and  the  supply  appears  inexhaustible.  From 
the  iron  mines  alone  there  was  sent  last  year  (1864),  to  dis 
tant  markets,  235,000  tons  of  iron  ore,  enough  from  this  item 
alone  to  freight  nearly  a  thousand  vessels  of  240  tons  each. 
The  shipments  of  copper  from  this  region  have  averaged  for 
the  last  four  years  over  10,000  tons  per  year. 


47 

This  region  is  rapidly  increasing  in  population,  and  this 
increase  is  going  on  at  a  steadily  advancing  rate  all  through 
Wisconsin,  Illinois,  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Ne 
braska,  <fec.  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Iowa  and  Nebraska,  will 
have,  probably,  by  the  next  census,  two  millions  of  inhabi 
tants.  A  little  reflection  upon  what  has  occurred  in  this 
respect  in  the  past  will  throw  light  upon  the  future. 

Before  the  Erie  Canal  of  New  York  was  opened,  forty  years 
since,  but  few  settlers,  comparatively,  had  found  their  way 
to  Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  the  best  lands  in  those  States 
could  be  bought  at  the  government  price  of  $1.25  per  acre. 
The  settlement  of  those  states  rapidly  increased  after  the 
event  named,  and  in  1860  Indiana  had  1,350,428,  and  Illinois 
1,711,951  inhabitants,  and  farm  lands  had  advanced  to  20  and 
30  dollars  per  acre. 

Wisconsin,  the  settlement  of  which  was  commenced  about 
1835,  soon  after  the  Black  Hawk  war,  had  in  1860,  776,000 
inhabitants,  and  lands  in  that  state  at  the  latter  date  had  ad 
vanced  from  the  government  price  to  the  same  rates  per  acre. 

The  States  west  of  the  Mississippi  are  filling  up  more  rap 
idly  even  than  did  the  States  named.  There  can  be  no  mis 
take  about  this.  The  observations  of  the  writer  made  in  the 
latter  named  States,  within  the  present  year  (1865),  convinces 
him  that  if  the  means  were  now  at  command,  and  ready  to  be 
applied,  the  channels  pointed  out  as  necessary  to  the  trade 
of  those  States,  could  not  be  properly  opened  or  improved  in 
time  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  people  of  those  states. 

In  these  improvements  the  East  and  the  West  are  alike 
most  deeply  interested.  The  manufacturers  of  New  England 
no  less  than  the  farmers  upon  the  prairies  of  the  West.  Any 
improvement  which  shall  lessen  the  cost  of  transportation  of 
agricultural  prodiice  between  these  sections  will  be  a  bless 
ing,  the  value  of  which  can  not  be  calculated.  It  will  give 
new  life  and  vigor  to  the  industry  of  a  very  large  extent  of 
country  at  the  West,  now  burdened  with  the  heavy  expense 
of  a  long  road  to  market.  The  competition  which  will  be 
created  will  be  most  salutary  and  is  greatly  needed,  and  a 


48 

new  impetus  will  be  given  to  the  growth  of  our  cities  upon 
the  seaboard. 

It  will  cheapen  subsistence  in  one  section  and  add  to  the 
comforts  of  life  of  the  other,  and  both  the  producer  and  con 
sumer  will  enjoy  in  a  much  larger  measure  than  at  present  the 
fruits  of  their  labors. 

NOTE. — A  paper  by  Geo.  H.  Perry,  C,  E.,  of  Ottawa  City,  on  Canadian  im 
provements,  which  has  come  under  notice  since  the  preceding  was  put  in  type, 
gives  dimensions  of  some  of  the  locks,  &c.,  on  those  improvements,  differing  from 
the  statements  from  other  sources. 

Mr.  P.  gives  the  size  of  the  Welland  locks  180  by  26 $  feet,  and  the  Rideau 
Canal  locks  133  by  33  feet.  He  supposes  that  only  twenty-two  miles  of  canal 
will  be  necessary  on  the  Ottawa  route  between  Lake  Huron  and  Lake  St.  Louis, 
and  says,  there  are  now  six  locks  between  Ottawa  City,  one  of  which  is  only  96 
by  19  feet,  with  4$  feet  depth  of  water. 

He  also  states  that  the  Galops  and  Point  Iroquois  Canals,  on  the  St.  Lawrence, 
have  been  connected  by  a  canal  2|  miles  without  locks. 

It  is  proper  to  state  that  the  enlargement  of  the  Champlain  Canal  to  the  size  of 
the  enlarged  Erie  Canal  is  in  progress,  and  not  completed  as  may  be  inferred  from 
the  text. 


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